Irish Republican Socialist Party International Department 30 July 2001 INLA Prisoners Go on Sympathy Hunger Strike The International Department of the Irish Republican Socialist Party issued a statement stating that Irish National Liberation Army prisoners of war have begun a hunger strike to demonstrate solidarity with the Left-wing prisoners on hunger strike in Turkey. The Hunger Strike started at 12:00 midnight Sunday night and will go on until Friday. All nine INLA prisoners in Portlaoise, Maghaberry, and Magilligan prisons will take part in the protest. The international office of the IRSP began a campaign to target travel agencies across Ireland and England with poster showing images of the hunger strikers. This campaign has already been taken up by the IRSP in Derry and Strabane. Terry hEarcain, spokesman for the IRSP in London, speaking to the Derry Journal, said the public in the Derry city should answer the call to boycott holiday destinations in Turkey, because they know well the loss that takes accompanies a hunger strike, since two Derry men died on hunger strike in Long Kesh in 1981. Mr. hEarcain recently travelled to Turkey to demonstrate solidarity with the hunger strike and visited with several of those on hunger strike, on of whom died within twelve hours of the visit. The IRSP have been active throughout the 32 counties of Ireland, as well as in England, Scotland, the United States, and Canada in support of the Turkish hunger strike. ENDS Relevant news articles below: The Mirror 30 July 2001 BORDER FOX ON HUNGER STRIKE IN JAIL By Tom Tuite Border Fox Dessie O'Hare was due to go on hunger strike from midnight last night in support of Turkish political prisoners. O'Hare and eight other INLA inmates at Portloaise Prison want to highlight the plight of the Turks. Sixty Turkish political prisoners have already starved themselves to death. The INLA strike is expected to continue until Friday. O'Hare and the others are also calling for international pressure on the Turkish government to respect the political prisoners' human rights. The Border Fox has described himself as the officer commanding the INLA group in Portlaoise Prison. In 1987 he was given a 40-year life sentence by the Special Criminal Court for the kidnapping and assault of Dublin dentist John O'Grady. O'Hare has also been campaigning for release from his sentence under the provisions of the Good Friday Agreement. Earlier this year the High Court was told that O'Hare qualified for release. In his application to be released the court was told that O'Hare was a member of a group who had maintained a ceasefire. Irish News 30 July 2001 INLA prisoners begin five-day hunger strike By Kieran McDaid INLA prisoners in jail in Ireland have begun a five-day hunger strike in support of prisoners in Turkey. Nine inmates at the high-security Portlaoise jail in Co Laois began the fast at midnight last night and have vowed not to eat until midnight on Friday. They have launched the protest as an act of solidarity with political prisoners in Turkey, who have gone on hunger strike in protest at prison conditions there. Almost 30 prisoners and their relatives have died since the protest against conditions in Turkish jails began last year. Several hundred prisoners from left-wing groups are on hunger strike to protest against their transfer in December from large dormitory wards into small "isolation" cells. The INLA hunger strike in Portlaoise prison is being led by commanding officer Dessie O'Hare. Known as the 'Border Fox', he was once one of Ireland's most wanted men, with a �90,000 reward on his head after kidnapping Dublin dentist John O'Grady in November 1987. After several weeks on the run, O'Hare was caught after being wounded in a shoot-out with gardai and Irish soldiers. Speaking from prison last night, O'Hare explained why he was leading the hunger strike. "The INLA and other political prisoners in Portlaoise feel a deep affinity with our comrades in the DHKPC, TIAD and TIKB who are giving their lives so valiantly in the struggle against the introduction of the isolation F-Type prisons," he said. "This is just a token fast but we hope to draw the public's attention to this ongoing hum-anitarian disaster and, through their attention, force the Free State government to act." Meanwhile, Gerry Adams has called on Belfast republicans to support the hunger strikers in Turkey. Speaking at the unveiling of a memorial to hunger striker Kieran Doherty, Mr Adams said: "Twenty-nine prisoners and relatives of prisoners have died in Turkey and we can only imagine because of what we have come through, what that means for their families, their community and their people. "I would call upon people to make their own personal initiative in terms of lobbying the Irish government, the European Commission and the Turkish government itself."
