PRC-UTE
31st March 2006, 02:29
An online petition aimed at securing the repatriation of republican
prisoner Aiden Hulme has just been launched by the New Republican Forum.
Aiden is currently serving a 22-year sentence in Full Sutton prison,
England. He was imprisoned for alleged involvement in the 2000/2001
‘Real’ IRA bombing campaign in London. He has lost his appeal against
conviction and sentence and is currently awaiting repatriation to
Portlaoise Prison in Ireland.
Prior to his arrest and imprisonment Aiden was involved in a serious
motorcycle accident that left him with a severely injured leg. In the
immediate aftermath of the accident he was receiving medical treatment
at the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast and his condition was
improving at the time of his detention.
However, subsequent to his arrest and imprisonment in Britain’s
notorious Belmarsh Special Secure Unit [SSU], Aiden’s medical
condition began to deteriorate at an alarming rate.
In response to intense political pressure the Belmarsh authorities
reluctantly acquired the services of a medical specialist and doctor
to examine Aiden’s injured leg. After a brief examination the
Belmarsh-appointed specialist informed him that the injured leg should
be amputated. Aiden’s family and friends, disturbed by and suspicious
of this opinion, immediately sought a second opinion.
After intensive and prolonged political lobbying by the Irish
Political Status Committee and other human rights groups an
independent specialist was permitted access to Belmarsh SSU to examine
Aiden. After the examination the independent specialist deemed the
limb “saveable” " contrary to the opinion of the prison-appointed
specialist.
Not only is Aiden still being denied proper treatment but
astonishingly, the Full Sutton prison authorities have decided to
withdraw his pain-killing medication on a gradual basis. No
alternative medication has been offered on the grounds that the pain
in his leg is “purely psychological”.
The British authorities had transferred all the official documentation
relating to Aiden’s repatriation bid to the Department of Justice in
Dublin by September 2005 but the application has still not been
processed. These delays are leaving Aiden at risk of having his
injured leg amputated in England.
Here's the link in case anyone is interested in signing it:
http://www.petitiononline.com/87bb92a/petition.html
We plan to picket the department of Justice where the delay in Aiden's
repatriation bid is occuring - during which we intend to present a
printed version of the petition to department staff.
If anyone is interested in helping with this campaign, which has the
support of several political and humanitarian organisations, contact
me on:
[email protected]
Thanks,
Paul Doyle,
New Republican Forum.
www.newrepublicanforum.ie
prisoner Aiden Hulme has just been launched by the New Republican Forum.
Aiden is currently serving a 22-year sentence in Full Sutton prison,
England. He was imprisoned for alleged involvement in the 2000/2001
‘Real’ IRA bombing campaign in London. He has lost his appeal against
conviction and sentence and is currently awaiting repatriation to
Portlaoise Prison in Ireland.
Prior to his arrest and imprisonment Aiden was involved in a serious
motorcycle accident that left him with a severely injured leg. In the
immediate aftermath of the accident he was receiving medical treatment
at the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast and his condition was
improving at the time of his detention.
However, subsequent to his arrest and imprisonment in Britain’s
notorious Belmarsh Special Secure Unit [SSU], Aiden’s medical
condition began to deteriorate at an alarming rate.
In response to intense political pressure the Belmarsh authorities
reluctantly acquired the services of a medical specialist and doctor
to examine Aiden’s injured leg. After a brief examination the
Belmarsh-appointed specialist informed him that the injured leg should
be amputated. Aiden’s family and friends, disturbed by and suspicious
of this opinion, immediately sought a second opinion.
After intensive and prolonged political lobbying by the Irish
Political Status Committee and other human rights groups an
independent specialist was permitted access to Belmarsh SSU to examine
Aiden. After the examination the independent specialist deemed the
limb “saveable” " contrary to the opinion of the prison-appointed
specialist.
Not only is Aiden still being denied proper treatment but
astonishingly, the Full Sutton prison authorities have decided to
withdraw his pain-killing medication on a gradual basis. No
alternative medication has been offered on the grounds that the pain
in his leg is “purely psychological”.
The British authorities had transferred all the official documentation
relating to Aiden’s repatriation bid to the Department of Justice in
Dublin by September 2005 but the application has still not been
processed. These delays are leaving Aiden at risk of having his
injured leg amputated in England.
Here's the link in case anyone is interested in signing it:
http://www.petitiononline.com/87bb92a/petition.html
We plan to picket the department of Justice where the delay in Aiden's
repatriation bid is occuring - during which we intend to present a
printed version of the petition to department staff.
If anyone is interested in helping with this campaign, which has the
support of several political and humanitarian organisations, contact
me on:
[email protected]
Thanks,
Paul Doyle,
New Republican Forum.
www.newrepublicanforum.ie