A
protest calling for the immediate repatriation of
Irish prisoner Aiden Hulme was held outside the
General Post Office in Dublin on 17th of June 2006
from 2-3pm.
The
event, which was organised by the New Republican
Forum (NRF), was extremely well attended with 60-70
people present. Members of a variety of republican
organisations came along including Sinn Féin,
Eírígí, The Irish Republican
Socialist Party (IRSP), The NRF and The Concerned
Group for Republican Prisoners (CGRP).
Aiden,
27, was imprisoned for alleged involvement in the
2000/2001 'Real' IRA bombing campaign in London.
Prior to his arrest and imprisonment he was involved
in a motorcycle accident that left him with a severely
injured leg. After the accident Aiden was receiving
treatment in Belfast and his condition was improving.
However, upon imprisonment in Britain's notorious
Belmarsh Special Secure Unit (SSU), Aiden's medical
condition began to deteriorate at an alarming rate.
After long delays the Belmarsh authorities reluctantly
acquired the services of a specialist to examine
Aiden's injured leg but after a brief examination
the Belmarsh-appointed specialist informed him that
the injured leg should be amputated. Aiden's family
and friends, disturbed by and suspicious of this
opinion, immediately sought a second opinion.
After
intensive and prolonged political lobbying an independent
specialist was permitted to examine Aiden. After
the examination the independent specialist deemed
the limb "saveable" - contrary to the
opinion of the prison-appointed specialist. However,
the independent specialist insisted it was essential
that Aiden receive appropriate medical treatment,
warning he "feared the worst" if it was
not forthcoming. Aiden underwent surgery, but due
to continuing medical neglect he is now once again
facing amputation.
Aiden
has had a further operation aimed at saving the
limb cancelled on 'security grounds' on four occassions
by the prison authorities. Last week he was informed
that this operation will no longer be of any benefit
to him. The only courses of action still open to
him are amputation or an operation to kill the nerves
in his leg to ease the pain he is racked by. The
latter is the operation that has been suggested.
SDLP
leader Mark Durkan has contacted the British Home
Office and the Department of Justice requesting
that Aiden's repatriation application be processed
without delay. Sinn Féin General Secretary
Mitchel McLaughlin has also called on the Irish
Government to intervene immediately. He said: "Aiden
Hulme's application for repatriation to an Irish
prison has been with Michael McDowell in the Irish
Department of Justice since last September (2005).
I call on Mr McDowell to process this application
immediately so that Aiden Hulme can come back where
he will be close to his family and receive the much
needed medical attention that he is entitled to."
Aiden,
who is on 23-hour lock down, has instructed his
legal team to initiate proceedings against HMP Full
Sutton on account of the treatment meted out to
him.
Saturday's
protest was marred somewhat by the overt harassment
of members of Garda Special Branch. Paul Doyle,
one of the NRF organisers of the event said, "Despite
the fact that this was a peaceful and dignified
attempt to make the public more aware of a situation
which looks likely to result in a young man loosing
a limb due to medical neglect, the Special Branch
saw fit to harass and intimidate those in attendance".
"They
began repeatedly taking peoples' names and addresses
and in many cases a close-up headshot photo to go
with it. They snatched fliers out of peoples' hands
and threatened arrest. They also had a camcorder
trained on the protesters throughout. At one point
they even started harassing members of the public
who showed an interest in the demonstration. After
one woman took a flier three branch men literally
ran down the road after her and took the flier off
her. This blatant attempt to stifle the right of
the Irish people to protest is inexcusable and will
be highlighted."
The
NRF and other organisations will continue to protest
about this issue until Aiden Hulme has been repatriated.
Various
other political and humantarian groups have spoken
out about this case and an online petition has been
lauched at: http://www.petitiononline.com/87bb92a/petition.html
For information visit: www.newrepublicanforum.ie
