The Five Demands

Escalation of tensions in Maghaberry (RNU)

Cogús have recieved word from protesting POWs on Roe 3 – Maghaberry who report an alarming shift in tactics by prison authorities in their approach to the no wash-‘dirty protest’ in which Cogús prisoners are currently participating.

It is standard practice for authorities to hose down cells with heavy chemical detergants at regular intervals. Up until this point POWs were moved into clean cells while the hosing process took place before being moved back to their own cell 24 hours later, allowing chemicals to escape.

Within the past week however Prison officials have refused to allow men to spend the 24 hour hosing period in a clean cell. Authorities are now expecting POWs to move back into fume filled cells immediately after they have been hosed down, exposing them to dangerous levels of poisonous chemicals which screws themselves wear gas masks to avoid.

Just as alarmingly, industrial cleaners are also semi cleaning contaminated cells before forcing POWs to switch over, effectively making men live in eachother’s excrement.

Political prisoner Tony Taylor today relayed the message to Cogús that.. ‘far from displaying any good will towards the prisoners in Roe House, prison administration appear determined to maximise tensions, no doubt under the impression that through petty tactics they will undermine the morale of the protest. These type of tactics only serve to galvinise the determination of protesting POWs’.