The Five Demands

Esperto in materia di giustizia penale delinea le condizioni in cui verrebbero a trovarsi entrambi i fratelli affiliati al Real IRA, se anche Liam Campbell dovesse essere estradato in Lituania per l’accusa di contrabbando di armi
Il Prof. Rod Morgan, esperto in giustizia penale in seno al Consiglio del Comitato Europeo per la Prevenzione delle Torture (Council of Europe’s Committee for the Prevention of Torture), ha fornito prove alla Belfast Recorders’ Court delle condizioni inumane in cui sono costretti a vivere i detenuti delle carceri lituane, nella fattispecie la prigione di Vilnius.
E’ questa struttura penitenziaria che si trova Michael Campbell, membro del Real IRA e sospettato di essere coinvolto in un contrabbando di armi. L’uomo potrebbe essere presto raggiunto dal fratello Liam, membro dell’organizzazione paramilitare repubblicana accusato – insieme ad altri 3 uomini – di essere tra i responsabili della strage di Omagh del 1998. Liam sta attualmente affrontando un mandato di estradizione, anch’egli sospettato di essere parte di un traffico d’armi.
Perdite d’acqua, pareti in gesso pericolanti, aumento costante del sovraffollamento, 23 ore di confinamento in cella. Solo questo da una chiara visione di quello che possa significare essere ‘ospite’ del calcere di Vilnius.
“Chiaramente molto è stato fatto per migliorare le problematiche in alcune sezioni del carcere, ma a mio parere ciò che è più evidente, è non c’è più spazio per i prigionieri detenuti nel carcere”, ha dichiarato il Prof. Morgan.
“Il modo più carino per discrivere la situazione, è dire che le autorità carcerarie stanno facendo del loro meglio per migliorare la struttura dell’edificio, senza la prospettiva di essere in grado di migliorare il regime generale”.
Non è previsto alcun programma di lavoro per i detenuti, “e in quelle condizioni incredibilmente anguste (non c’è) alcuna prospettiva di miglioramento, a detta dei dirigenti della prigione”.

‘Inhumane’ conditions for RIRA accused (UTV)
A Belfast court has heard concerns over the “inhumane” jail conditions facing two Real IRA accused brothers in Lithuania.
A prisons inspector travelled to the Lukiskes facility in Vilnius to meet with Michael Campbell, who is on remand there following a sting operation against an alleged weapons procurement plot.
The accused’s brother, Liam Campbell – who was one of four men found to be liable for the 1998 Omagh bomb in a landmark civil suit – is fighting extradition to Lithuania to face arms smuggling charges.
But his lawyers claim the 47-year-old, from Upper Faughart in Dundalk, will be subjected to inhumane and degrading conditions if transferred into custody in the Baltic republic.
Giving evidence at Belfast Recorders’ Court on Thursday, Professor Rod Morgan – an independent expert on criminal justice and an adviser to the Council of Europe’s Committee for the Prevention of Torture – said no hopes exist for improvements to cramped and overcrowded conditions at the Lithuanian jail.
He said efforts had been made during his inspection last year to fix leaking pipes and plaster “literally falling off the walls”, but that the governor at Lukiskes admitted the prison population was rising.
Prof Morgan told the court: “Clearly a great deal had been done to improve the issues in certain sections of the prison, but what was made abundantly clear to me is there could be no more space for prisoners held in the prison.”
The Recorder, Judge Tom Burgess, heard that staff-prisoner ratios were also said to be deteriorating, with little budgetary measures made to ease the situation.
“The kindest way of putting it is to say the prison authorities are doing the best they can to improve the fabric of the building, without the prospect of being able to improve the overall regime.”
Prof Morgan said it was made clear to him that no work programme exists for inmates – who are confined to their cells 23 hours a day – and that limited opportunities are available for exercise.
“And in those incredibly cramped conditions (there is) no prospect of that improving at all, according to the managers of the prison”, he added.
Liam Campbell has been in custody since he was arrested after crossing the border into south Armagh in May 2009. A month later he was found to be liable – along with three other men – for the Omagh bombing, following a landmark civil action brought by relatives of some of the 29 people killed in the August 1998 explosion.
A judge ruled there was cogent evidence that he was a member of the Real IRA’s Army Council.
Campbell is wanted in Lithuania over an alleged operation to acquire guns, ammunition and explosives from there and ship them into Ireland for the terror grouping.
His ongoing case will be mentioned again in two weeks time.