The Five Demands

Documenti tenuti top secret per quasi 30 anni sono stati rilasciati al Londonderry Sentinel sulla base del Freedom of Information Act

L’appello al Freedom of Information act inoltrato dal Londonderry Sentinel ha avuto origine dalle indiscrezioni secondo cui le vite di alcuni hunger strikers furono sacrificati per promuovere la strategia elettorale del movimento repubblicano. Sempre secondo tali indiscrezioni il governo avrebbe fatto un’offerta per andare incontro alle richieste dei prigionieri (IRA e INLA) coinvolti nello sciopero della fame che con ogni probabilità sarebbe stata da loro accettata se solo l’IRA li avesse messi al corrente. Se tutto ciò venisse definitivamente confermato, vite umane avrebbero potute essere salvate da un’atroce morte.
Il Londonderry Sentinel è ora venuta in possesso di 32 documenti mai visti prima, inerenti a quel periodo che getterebbero una nuova luce sulle trattative ‘pubbliche’ e ‘private’ su vari livelli portate avanti dal governo e varie organizzazioni per cercare di arrivare ad un a conclusione dell’hunger strike che si stava consumando nel Maze. A breve la loro pubblicazione.

Traduci l’articolo…

Never-before-seen 1981 hunger strike documents disclosed (Londonderry Sentinel)
A fascinating insight into one of the most contentious periods of the Northern Ireland conflict has been revealed by documents obtained by the Sentinel under the Freedom of Information Act (FOI).
The hunger strike of 1981 in the Maze prison saw ten republican protestors die and caused mayhem on the streets of the country claiming the lives of civilians, Army, police and prison personnel.
Now after a 15 month tussle with the Northern Ireland
ADVERTISEMENT
Office the Sentinel has obtained 32 never before seen documents in relation to the era.
The FOI request was made by the Sentinel amid claims that the lives of several hunger strikers were sacrificed to boost the republican movement’s electoral strategy and that an acceptable offer was made to the hunger strikers but they were not informed by the IRA. INLA prisoners were also among those who died.
The papers now in the possession of the Sentinel cast new light on events and on moves to bring the hunger strike to an end.
Taken in conjunction with a small number of previously released documents, the papers, kept secret for almost 30 years, show the Government was working on a number of levels with many and varied organisations and reflects the differences in its public and private moves.
Tomorrow’s edition of the Londonderry Sentinel will reveal our analysis of some of the documents.
The documents will also be made available on the Sentinel’s website later in the week as will previously released documents that were also supplied by the NIO.