Bloody Sunday Familys Statement

Statement from Bloody Sunday Families

Later this month, the families of the men and boys killed on Bloody Sunday, as well as some of those wounded that day, will take part in the annual commemoration of the massacre. This month’s march will be unlike any of the previous 38 commemorations; for the first time in almost 40 years, participants will take to the streets in the knowledge that their loved ones have been officially exonerated and that the victims’ innocence has been established for all the world to see.

The Saville Inquiry’s findings - revealed to an almost disbelieving Derry public on June 15 last year - finally exposed the Widgery Tribunal as the travesty we, the people of Derry, always knew it to be.

For the Bloody Sunday families this has been a long, difficult but successful journey. The murder of our loved ones, and the wounding of more than a dozen of our fellow citizens, was compounded by the lies told about the victims and by the on-going cover-up of the Parachute Regiment’s crimes. It has taken almost 40 years, but the truth about Bloody Sunday has finally been set free.

This would not have happened had we not received the wholehearted support of our own community and of campaigners from further afield, who have rallied tirelessly to the call for truth and justice. We owe these supporters a huge debt of gratitude.

However, we, the families, must now decide how best to mark future anniversaries of Bloody Sunday. For some, the exoneration of our loved ones means that the time for protest has passed; they would prefer to grieve privately in future for the fathers, sons and brothers they have lost. We are all fully aware of the very serious shortcomings of the Saville Report, and many of us believe that more must be done to hold the perpetrators to account for their crimes.

The majority of families and wounded are in accord with the following statement:

“We invite the people of Derry and supporters from further afield to join us for one last time, on Sunday 30th January this year, in following the planned route of the original civil rights march, from Creggan Shops to Guildhall Square.

“We believe that this year’s march should highlight similar quests for truth and justice by victims of state violence in the North (including in Ballymurphy and on the Shankill Road) and elsewhere in the world, and encourage those who have supported us over the years to now give their active support to these campaigns.

“We believe that this last act of solidarity will be an appropriate way of marking the 39th anniversary of the Bloody Sunday massacre, and of celebrating our success in setting the truth about Bloody Sunday free.

“We have asked the Bloody Sunday Trust to organise and consider other ways of marking future anniversaries, including:

• A major annual Gathering of Remembrance at the Bloody Sunday monument (on the Sunday closest to 30th January), for all the people of Derry coinciding with the timing of the original march. The Gathering of Remembrance will be dedicated to the ongoing quest to establish the complete innocence of Gerald Donaghey, as well as remembering the deceased and the sacrifice of the wounded;
• a Remembrance Mass;
• a Human Rights Weekend;
• the annual Bloody Sunday Memorial Lecture.
“Furthermore, we are confident that the excellent Museum of Free Derry will continue to be developed and expanded as the main legacy project for remembering Bloody Sunday and the Civil Rights struggle.

“We again salute all those who have stood shoulder to shoulder with us, over the last 40 years, in our campaign for truth and justice and ask you to join us on the streets on 30th January to finally complete our journey.

“Our victory is your victory. Go raibh míle maith agaibh.”

SSFPP POW Protest

Scottish Support For Political Prisoners

POW Picket

Saturday 22nd January 2011

Assemble KFC At Forge Retail Park, 1pm

Then To Gallowgate Entrance Celtic Park

''They're In There For Us, Be Out Here For Them''

All Welcome

SSFPP Will Also Be Holding A POW Fundraiser That Night, For More Info Contact - ssfpp@hotmail.co.uk

SSFPP POW Function

Republican POW Function

Saturday 22nd January 2011

Gallowgate, Glasgow

Tickets £7

Starts 7.30pm - Late

Music From - Ciaran Murphy, JP Hannon, A Soon To Be Announced RFB (And Maybe More !)

There Will Also Be A Raffle / Auction On The Night.

Organised By Scottish Support For Political Prisoners

For More Info Contact - ssfpp@hotmail.co.uk

''There In There For Us, Be Out Here For Them''

SSFPP Condems Arrests Of FRFI Members

The Scottish Support For Political Prisoners today condems the arrests and prosecution of Dominic O'Hara & Johnathon Simmons both activists of the Glasgow branch of Fight Racism, Fight Imperialism ! for peacefully protesting alongside the students against the cuts in Glasgow City Centre on Thursday afternoon, Both were realesed on bail yesterday (Friday) pending a further trial date on 19th January at Glasgow Sheriff Court, We the Scottish Support For Political Prisoners will do all we can to help both Dominic & Johnathon and urge all of our comrades and supporters to do the same !

SSFPP POW Protest 6/11/2010

SCOTTISH SUPPORT FOR POLITICAL PRISONERS

Scottish Support For Political Prisoners (SSFPP) was set up a few months back by a number of people who thought that the injustices and harrassment of Political Prisoners throughout many places in the World was going unnoticed over in Scotland, and thought that needed to be addressed. Over our short period of time since being formed, already we have done alot of work on behalf of the Irish POWs, Basque POWs, and highlighted situations from Palestine also. This is only the beginning of things to come.We urge all who support justice and equality to help out in any way possible and support Scottish Support For Political Prisoners (SSFPP).

Todays picket is in aid of two Political Prisoners who are being held on trumped-up charges. Below is a little bit of information on their current situation.

Michael Campbell

Michael Campbell was arrested in Lithuania in 2008 for allegedly attempting to purchase arms for Oglaigh na hÉireann (commonly known as the Real IRA) although he maintains he traveled to Lithuania to purchase counterfeit cigarettes and is the victim of a 'set-up' by Lithuanian and British authorities. Michael, whose brother Liam is currently in Maghaberry facing extradition to Lithuania, is from Dundalk Co. Louth and is currently imprisoned in Lukiskes Remand Prison in Vilnius. Michael's current status is relatively unknown; rumors of ill-health extending as far as him contracting malaria have been reported back, and while such information may seem shocking, a relative knowledge of Lithuania's prison system and authorities would easily soften the blow.

The prison is located in the center of Vilnius, capital of Lithuania, near the Lukiškės Square. It houses approximately 1,000 prisoners and employs around 250 prison guards. Most of the prisoners are placed under temporary arrest awaiting court decisions or transfers to other detention facilities, but there is also a permanent prison with about 180 inmates; about 80 of them are sentenced for life. The Prison is over a century old and badly in need of investment and repair, built in 1904 it maintains a violent history with Prisoners having been massacred by the Russian NKVD during the German invasion of the Soviet Union.

The Lithuanian prison service and authorities in general are renowned for foul treatment of prisoners and citizens. Lithuania's role in torture is well known, having held several detainees who were rendered from Afghanistan via secret detention centres to Guantanamo bay. One of those "secret" detention centres was outside Vilnius where it is alleged Muslim prisoners were held outside of the legal process, so they could be tortured and in some cases allegedly killed. Media reports on a Muslim woman have come to light suggesting she was psychologically and physically ill-treated by Russian and Lithuanian intelligence agents. She testified on the 22nd July that 3 FSB agents routinely beat her and had done for months. A professor by the name of Rod Morgan who inspected the jail and whose findings were, like that of the Council of Europe Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT), horrendous. Prof. Morgan returned more recently but was denied full inspection of the facility; he met with Michael in his cell and stated that his condition had actually worsened due to budget restraints on the prison.

Michael, according to his family, has been suffering from recent ill health and needed medical treatment after a severe reaction to mosquito bites. Relatives claim Michael's general health has deteriorated since his incarceration in Lukiskes prison which, according to Professor Morgan's report, is damp, overrun with vermin and lacks basic sanitary provision.

Martin Corey

Republican Martin Corey From Lurgan, Co. Armagh was sentenced to Life Imprisonment in December 1973.

He was 19 years old. He spend the next 19 years in jail and was finally released without signing anything, in June 1992.
For the Next 18 years he worked in his own business until without warning on April 16th this year 2010 he was taken back into custody.

No Reason was given to Martin at the time or since his return to jail.

If you're interested in learning more about Scottish Support For Political Prisoners, or are wanting to find out about upcoming events contact us on : ssfpp@hotmail.co.uk