NORTH OF IRELAND: BRITISH DENY USING CR GAS ON DEFENCELESS PRISONERS

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The British government have repeated their denials concerning the use of CR gas against defenceless prisoners in the Maze prison in the early 1970s. The Celtic League had asked the Irish

Cathal Ó Luain Par Celtic League le 22/09/08 4:04

The British government have repeated their denials concerning the use of CR gas against defenceless prisoners in the Maze prison in the early 1970s.

The Celtic League had asked the Irish government to raise the matter once again with the British authorities - see Celtic News:

(voir le site)

The Department of Foreign Affairs say the issue was once again taken up but the British continue to repeat earlier denials.

It has been openly admitted that CS gas was used at the prison in 1974 and it is admitted that CR gas was deployed although the British say it was 'never used operationally'. The Celtic League have also established that helicopter logs for the period in question no longer exist and that although it was clear that many prisoners had suffered serious inhalation injuries from the use of gas during the incident in question no attempt was made to monitor the prisoners health subsequently(see references in links below).

Former Maze prisoners continue to insist that CR was used, with deadly consequences for many inmates in later years.

The text of the letter from the Department of Foreign Affairs is set out below:

"21 August 2008

Our Ref: A1080140

Dear Mr Moffatt,

The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr. Micheál Martin T.D., has asked me to thank you for your letter of 31 May 2008, concerning allegations that CR Gas was used in the Maze prison in 1974.

The matter has been raised with the British authorities on a number of occasions, through the British Irish Intergovernmental Secretariat in Belfast, including on receipt of your most recent correspondence.

The British authorities say that "CR gas was never used operationally" in the North, although they note that in 1974 CR gas was issued to operational units and that authorisation for deployment under certain circumstances had been given by British Ministers.

Yours sincerely.

Sinéad Ryan

Private Secretary"

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