Loyalists warn over jail strip-searches

Loyalists today threatened major disruption across Northern Ireland unless strip- searches inside a top security jail are cut back.

Prisoners' representatives warned of widespread demonstrations ahead of urgent talks with the British government.

Spokesman Frankie Gallagher insisted that protests, including roadblocks, would be peaceful.

But the action, over conditions for loyalists held in a separated regime inside Maghaberry Jail, was postponed after a meeting was called with Security Minister Ian Pearson.

Mr Gallagher said: “If we have no other avenue then we will escalate our campaign for human rights for the prisoners.”

It is believed campaigners also planned to picket the offices of the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission.

Representatives of the Prisoners Aid Networking Group (Pang) and the Ulster Political Research Group, which advises the Ulster Defence Association, claimed they had no alternative after relations with prison authorities broke down.

Months of dialogue aimed at preventing any new attacks on warders’ homes ended because of the ongoing “inhumane” treatment of inmates, Pang said.

The group claimed up to four prisoners were being strip-searched every day inside a confined secure unit of 26 cells.

“The Northern Ireland Prison Service have totally failed to address the physical and mental torture that their officers are orchestrating on a daily basis against inmates who are at present powerless with no recourse,” Mr Gallagher said.

Even though the Irish Government and the Human Rights Commission were contacted, no resolution has been achieved.

Some of the 48 loyalists held in a separate block under new security arrangements at Maghaberry have been staging naked protests over the searches.

Mr Gallagher added: “This situation has resulted in having no other choice but to adopt a more radical approach to getting these human rights abuses addressed by staging peaceful demonstrations across Northern Ireland.

“But these have been postponed due to the late intervention of Minister Ian Pearson and his civil servants.”

The Prison Service insisted body searches were part of the security regime in Maghaberry.

“Accommodation is searched regularly on a random basis and when you go through a prisoner’s cell it’s only sensible to search the prisoner at the same time,” a spokesman said.

“That’s the only occasion when full searches take place.”

He added: “It seems ironic they are protesting by taking off all their clothes when we would never ask them to take off all their clothes.”