NORTH OF IRELAND: MAGHABERRY PRISON - END SYMBOL DISCRIMINATION CALL

The Celtic League have called for an end to the practise of discriminating against republican prisoners in Maghaberry prisoner. The move comes following revelations that prisoners who wore `Easter Lilies' were recently punished.

The League General Secretary points out in a letter to Maghaberry Prison Chief, Alan Longwell, that prisoners are allowed to wear red poppy symbols during the annual November commemoration of British war dead pointing out that this makes a nonsense of suggestions that symbols such as the Easter Lily can be considered a conflict symbol.

The correspondence to Maghaberry Prison is set out below:

«Alan Longwell Prison Governor Maghaberry Prison Old Road Ballinderry Upper LISBURN BT28 2PT

17/04/09

Dear Alan Longwell

Wearing of Easter lilies by prisoners

The Celtic League is aware that over the Easter holiday earlier this month, 19 prisoners in the Roe House wing of Maghaberry jail, County Antrim, near Lisburn were punished for wearing an `Easter Lily' in a common area, against prison rules.

We understand that the wearing of the lily by prisoners is a sign of respect for people who have died in much the same way that the red poppy is warn by people in many countries and regions on certain occasions, as a symbol for those who have died at war. We further understand that the argument against the wearing of the lily in common areas at Maghaberry jail is that it can be interpreted as a `conflict emblem' by other prisoners. Unlike the lily however, we believe that the wearing of the red poppy by prisoners in Maghaberry jail is not banned in common areas, even though the red poppy symbol can also be interpreted as a conflict emblem.

The Celtic League would like to proffer the idea that if the wearing of the lily by some prisoners has the potential to incite conflict, then it is greater tolerance for diversity and the respect of beliefs and opinions among the prisoners that needs to be promoted in the prison and not the opposite. We were encouraged this month that the UK justice system seemed to be acceding to international pressure by granting limited voting rights to some prisoners in line with the human rights recommendations set out by the European Union five years ago. However the Celtic League believes that preventing prisoners wearing a lily over the Easter period, as a part of their traditionally held beliefs, shows that there is still much work to be done in the provision of human rights to prisoners within UK state prisons.

We observed that the prisoners of Maghaberry jail were not the only people wearing lilies over this Easter period. As was reported in the news, Northern Ireland Government Ministers launched a Lily appeal in the Stormont Assembly on Tuesday 31st March encouraging citizens to wear the lily with pride. In view of this, the policy of Maghaberry jail seems to run contrary to the message being sent out by the Northern Irish Government; after all prisoners are also citizens too.

The Celtic League would like to know if the prison authorities have plans to reconsider its policy on the wearing of the Easter lily at some point in the future.

Yours sincerely Rhisiart Tal-e-bot General Secretary Celtic League

CC Michael Maguire Chief Inspector of Criminal Justice in Northern Ireland»

Individual League branches and members can support our call for an end to this discrimination by sending letters of complaint to:

The Prisons Minister N I Prison Service Prison Service Headquarters Dundonald House Upper Newtownards Road BELFAST BT4 3SU

J B Moffatt Director of Information Celtic League

18/04/09