Londonderry republican group urges an end to strip searches

THE 32 County Sovereignty Movement in Londonderry has issued a statement in the wake of a claim by Lurgan republican Colin Duffy that he was physically and sexually abused during a prison strip search.
By The Newsroom
Published 13th Oct 2010, 13:11 BST
Updated 13th Oct 2010, 13:11 BST

The group says the alleged treatment will not be tolerated and it called on the Northern Ireland Prison Service (NIPS) to honour the terms of an agreement brokered in early August to end a months long dispute over conditions in HMP Maghaberry.

Duffy, along with 45-year-old Brian Patrick Shivers, from Sperrin Mews, Magherafelt, is accused of the murders of Sappers Mark Quinsey, 23, and 21-year-old Patrick Azimkhar outside Massereene army base on March 7 last year.

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Defence counsel Mark Mulholland told a Preliminary Enquiry at Coleraine Magistrates Court on Tuesday that Duffy, was left in "significant pain" as a result of the alleged physical abuse in prison yesterday morning.

In response dissident republicans in Londonderry stated: "The 32 County Sovereignty Movement will not tolerate the treatment of Colin Duffy by the prison regime in Maghaberry jail and we urge all republican, socialist and progressive thinkers to refuse to tolerate it also."

The organisation backed Mr Mulholland's account, adding: "The prisoners and the prison service had reached an agreement last month to end a protest by republican POW's that included an end to all strip searching."

The statement also warns: " The 32 County Sovereignty Movement urge the prison service to honour their agreements before this situation gets out of control and somebody is seriously hurt on either side."