Hunger strike can be resolved: McCartney

Foyle MLA Raymond McCartney was part of a Sinn Fin delegation which entered Maghaberry last Friday, May 14.

The delegation included Mr McCartney, Carl N Chuiln MLA, Paul Maskey MLA and John O'Dowd MLA. The Sinn Fin team was accompanied by Michael Culbert of Coiste na nIarchim.

The delegation heard the concerns of Hannaway, who was jailed for ten years in 2008 for possession of explosives and upon his imprisonment was told by prison staff that he was under death threat from unnamed republicans.

Hannaway was subsequently moved to a Special Supervision Unit (SSU) - where he remained for over a year - but during this time insisted republican prisoners in Roe house would welcome him "with open arms" and no death threat existed.

Following protests by republican inmates during Easter this year Hannaway was moved into a separate unit of Maghaberry prison at Glen House.

He soon afterwards commenced a hunger strike and today Friday, May 21, refused food for the 38th day.

Prominent Londonderry republican Gary Donnelly was also confined to the SSU isolation units for a period and was also allegedly under death threat from unnamed republicans but has since returned to Roe house.

Reporting back to the Sinn Fin Assembly Team this week following the visit to Maghaberry - Raymond McCartney - who spent 53 days on IRA hunger strike in 1980 - said he believed the issues could be resolved.

"The delegation also met with Liam Hannaway whose health has become a matter of concern.

"Liam outlined his concerns, all of which centred on prison conditions and procedures.

"It was the firm belief of the delegation that all of these issues could be satisfactorily dealt with by the governor," said mr McCartney.

He also described a meeting with republican prisoners in Roe House as "a very positive engagement" in which the men had outlined their concerns.

"A range of issues were raised by the prisoners. They include complaints about a number of punitive actions such as the use of strip searching as harassment of both prisoners and their visitors and a range of other conditions-related issues that were very familiar to the former prisoners on the delegation," said Mr McCartney.

"It was clear that with the right political will that all of these issues could be resolved.

"The delegation discussed all of this with the ten prisoners we met and assured them their concerns would be conveyed to the prison administration, the Prison service and to the Justice Minister," said Mr McCartney.

A number of matters concerned were also raised including the proximity of dogs in the visit processing area, the presence of the PSNI in the visitors-area, the public selection of who is to be strip searched and visitors being threatened with arrest if they refuse to be strip searched.

Prisoners also raised issues of access, particularly the practice of forcing segregated prisoners to eat their meals in the cells.

The delegation had requested to meet with Harry Fitzsimmons, a prisoner being held in isolation, but this did not happen due to a misunderstanding.

"Harry's lawyer contacted me last Saturday to explain the situation and assure me that his client was not in any way snubbing the delegation. "The delegation had sought to visit Harry after his family raised concerns about his health and well being," said Mr McCartney.

"After our 3 hour meeting with the prisoners, the delegation met with the governor again to outline their concerns and suggestions.

"In the coming period Sinn Fin will meet with the director general of the prison service, with representatives of the prison administration as well as the Minister for Justice, David Ford, regarding our deep concerns about the current situation for prisoners and their families in Maghaberry," he concluded.