Workers Solidarity Movement

Roisin Allsop, partner of political prisoner is to begin a 3 day hunger strike along with supporters tomorrow in West Belfast to highlight his case and demand his release based on humanitarian grounds. A meeting was also held this week in Derry attended by over 200 people to highlight ongoing state repression and brutality on the inside. Protests are also taking place across Ireland and in London. His plight has finally broken into the mainstream media in recent days despite in the past being largely abandoned by the political establishment.

Below is a press release released on behalf of Brendan Lillis

‘Brendan Lillis is currently a prisoner in Maghaberry Prison where he is serving a sentence for explosive offences in 1976. Brendan suffers from the condition ankylosing spondylitis and has been confined to bed for the best part of the past two years.

Brendan Lillis is no threat to anybody. Brendan Lillis is dying and has been abandoned by an entire political system which is more interested in making statements about his condition than in applying their political power to remedy the situation.

We call for the immediate release of Brendan Lillis to his partner Roisin so that whatever time Brendan has left on this earth be spent with his immediate family.

Brendan Lillis can not walk; he can not get up from his bed. He is incapacitated, and he is being left alone to die in a prison cell. We have seen enough of our people die in prison cells and find the manner in which Brendan is being treated as an obscenity.

A hunger strike in support of Brendan Lillis will commence this Thursday 21st July at the site of the old Andersonstown Barracks, Belfast. Roisin Lynch, partner of Brendan Lillis will be joined by old comrades of Brendan’s from the Blanket protest days and other former prisoners and concerned individuals. The action is designed to highlight Brendan’s case and the lack of any movement in securing his release from the politicians who know Brendan and knew him as a Blanketman.

Time is fast running out for Brendan Lillis and he should be released immediately.

We call on all people concerned with this grave injustice to come along on Thursday, Friday or Saturday and register your support for a sick and dying man being held hostage by a vindictive and punitive regime.’

Brendan Lillis: BBC Radio Foyle discussion including a contribution from Roisin Allsop

Here is the link to listen to this again.

Click on http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/console/b012m7nh

Then go forward to 1:05:05