Protest in support of Noel Maguire

25/06/08

In April 2003 Noel Maguire was sentenced to 22 years in prison having been accused of being responsible for a number of explosions that took place in London and Birmingham in 2000 and 2001. In spite of the fact that the prosecution admitted openly that there was no direct evidence linking him (or any of the other defendants) to the explosions, the severest of punishments were applied.

Five years later and Noel has still not seen his children. Being a full Irish citizen under European directive 2004/38 he has the right to serve his sentence in his home country. After a campaign, his co-defendant Aiden Hulme was permitted to avail of this right and transferred to Portlaoise Prison.

Noel Maguire, however, remains in custody in England. No justifiable reason for this has been proffered by the British government or judicial system.

The psychological damage being inflicted upon him through this isolation in a foreign country cannot be underestimated, nor can the physical threats that he regularly endures at Sutton Hall Prison.

Both the intransigence of the British state and the criminal indifference of the 26-County government must be challenged. For this reason republicans, socialists and all of those who care about the protection of human rights are encouraged to attend the picket at 2pm at the GPO on Dublin’s O’Connell Street on Saturday 28th June to call for the immediate transfer of Noel Maguire to his own country.

Brian Leeson, éirígí Chairperson, encouraged people to come out and show their support for Noel Maguire:

“The Maguire case, like countless others before it, represents an injustice perpetrated against an Irish citizen at the hands of a foreign justice system. Noel is not the first, and unfortunately will not be the last, Irish person to suffer abuse at the hands of the British justice system.

“For these reasons we will stand with his family and supporters to give our full support to the campaign for his return and encourage all republicans to do likewise. Like every republican prison struggle we have seen in Britain or Ireland, prisoners can do only so much to stand up to the system. It is we, on the outside, who have to support them by exposing the injustice of their incarceration to the world. We in éirígí encourage everyone to play their small part on Saturday, by attending the protest.