Treatment of Political prisoners

This document includes:

AGM condemns treatment
Letter to UK Home Secretary re irish prisoners

Irish & Basque prisoners plea

 The call came at the 1997 AGM of the Celtic League. The conference said that both governments are ignoring International standards on the detention of prisoners by deliberately locating them in prisons distant from their families and so frustrating access to them.

 The League are to write to all European Union governments urging them to prevail on the London and Madrid governments to act "with more political maturity on the issue".

Letter to UK Home Secretary re political prisoners

 Dear Home Secretary

 I draw your attention to the attached resolution which was adopted at the Annual Meeting of the Celtic League in Caernarfon on 25-27 July 1997 and specifically the section relating to Irish prisoners.

 This AGM:

 Requests that the governments of the United Kingdom and Spain to pay due regard to paragraphs 43(1), 65(c), 66(b), & 68 of "The European Prison Rules" in promoting the rights of prisoners to have reasonable access and communication with their families.

 Urges these governments to cease locating (Irish and Basque) political prisoners in prisons distant from their home countries and effectively using them as bargaining tools in conflict resolution.

 I believe the text of the resolution is self explanatory and would urge the United Kingdom government in line with International standards to repatriate Irish prisoners to their home area where they have family and social connections.

 For information I refer you to the report of the Council of Europe - European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) made after a visit to Spain in 1994 in connection with the problem of Basque prisoners:

 "Humanitarian considerations, not to mention the objective of social rehabilitation, speak in favour of prisoners serving their sentences in the region where they have family and social ties.

 In this connection, the CPTs delegation observed that many prisoners were serving their sentences in establishments situated a long way from their families' homes"

 I believe these comments are equally appropriate in relation to those prisoners serving sentences in British jails for offences connected with the conflict in N. Ireland.

 I trust the British government will review its policy and exercise a more humanitarian policy.

 Yours sincerely,

 J.B. Moffatt
General Secretary
4/8/97