Northern Ireland’s Political Prisoners

Dr. Laura Graham

Tufts University

PJS 150-10

SummaryInternmentHunger StrikesECHR Article 15FilmDiscussion

InternmentInternment refers to the arrest and detention without trial of people suspected of being members of illegal paramilitary groups.

Aug 9, 1971 – Dec 5, 19751,981 detained internees: 1,874 Catholic/Republican; 107 Protestant/Loyalist

Increased support for IRA amongst Catholics

Civil unrest and violence surged

Chronology of Internment

Aug 9, 1971 – Internment begins with Operation DemetriusNov 16, 1971 – Compton Report acknowledged ill-treatment of internees.

Nov 30, 1971 – ROI promises to make a case on brutality of security forces to ECHR

Jan 30, 1972 – “Bloody Sunday”/NICRA march against internment

March 24, 1972 – Stormont dissolved; Home RuleDec 20, 1972 – Diplock Committee Report/ est. Diplock (jury-less) Courts

July 9, 1974 – Sec of State Rees announces internment to be gradually phased out.

Dec 5, 1975 – Internment Ends

Chronology of Hunger Strikes

March 1, 1976 – Sec of State announces end of special category status for political prisoners.

Sept 14, 1976 – Kieran Nugent begins “Blanket Protest”

June 19, 1980 – ECHR rejects case brought by Republican prisoners

Oct 27, 1980 – first Hunger Strike beginsDec 18, 1980 – first Hunger Strike ends

1981 Hunger StrikeMarch 1, 1981 – Bobby Sands begins Hunger StrikeAim: to achieve reintroduction of “political status” for Republican prisoners.

5 demands:Prisoners allowed to wear civilian clothesRight to free association within cell blocksRight not to do prison workRight to educational and recreational facilitiesRestoration of lost remission of sentence

Strike set to end on Oct 3, 1981 with 10 Hunger Strikers

ECHR Article 15ARTICLE 15 Derogation in time of emergency

1. In time of war or other public emergency threatening the life of the nation any High Contracting Party may take measures derogating from its obligations under this Convention to the extent strictly required by the exigencies of the situation, provided that such measures are not inconsistent with its other obligations under international law.

2. No derogation from Article 2, except in respect of deaths resulting from lawful acts of war, or from Articles 3, 4 (paragraph 1) and 7 shall be made under this provision.

3. Any High Contracting Party availing itself of this right of derogation shall keep the Secretary General of the Council of Europe fully informed of the measures which it has taken and the reasons therefor. It shall also inform the Secretary General of the Council of Europe when such measures have ceased to operate and the provisions of the Convention are again being fully executed.

Film“Hunger”

http://tischmcvodportal.library.tufts.edu/launch/hunger

DiscussionWhat are you impressions of the film?What are your thoughts about Thatcher’s position that there are no political crimes? “We will not compromise on this. There will be no political status.”

What impact, if any, do you think the blanket and dirty protests had?What is the difference between suicide and hunger strike?Do you agree with the Priest’s comments that Bobby Sands was out of touch with reality due to being locked up?

What do you think of Thatcher’s comment that the prisoners were using pity to create tension?

Hunger is a particularly brutal way to die. Why do you think the prisoners felt it necessary to take such drastic measures?

In the end, do you think the HS was worth the loss of life, given that the political status was never officially achieved?

What alternatives might have worked to achieve the prisoners’ demands?

ReferencesDickson, B. The European Convention on Human

Rights and the Conflict in Northern Ireland.

CAIN Internment: http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/events/intern/chron.htm

CAIN Hunger Strikes: http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/events/hstrike/chronology.htm