Statement from Prisons Crisis Group on Marian release application

The release of Marian Price to attend her sister Dolours’  funeral would be an act of compassion. Her family and friends have appealed to Justice Minister David Ford to show her some humanity at this time.

Marian had an exceptionally close bond of love with her  sister. The fact that her heart is broken at Dolours’ death will be understood  far beyond the political circles in which either of them moved. The case for  allowing her to grieve at her sister’s funeral will likewise be appreciated even  by people of profoundly different ideas and background.

Minister Ford will know of Marian’s own physical and  mental health difficulties which have led to her detention in a hospital  facility for the past number of months. He will surely appreciate that keeping her  isolated in custody to grieve alone as her sister is buried could have a  devastating impact on her health. 

Marian’s lawyers have asked Mr. Ford to  consider allowing her to spend a week with her family to deal with her loss. We  earnestly urge him to give positive consideration to the case they have made to  him.

We ask all who are concerned to raise their  voices so Mr. Ford can hear how broadly his decision will be supported if he  grants this plea.

55 comments:

  1. I agree this has to be done. But it hurts so much that after all the decades of struggle, we still have to go asking a Unionist minister to be humane when he has no moral right to be anything other than humane.

    There is nothing wrong with this heartfelt approach. There is an awful lot wrong with the circumstances that led to it having to be made.

    If my blood is boiling it must be running mega hot through the veins of so many of the younger generation when they have learned as young generations have always learned that the generation before them left them so vulnerable in the face of Brit perfidy.

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  2. I may be way off here, but shouldn't Marion's solicitors seek an emergency High Court injuntion right now, to stay or reverse this decision? A writ of Mandamus or Certorari. If that is possible, how on earth could it be rejected in an open civil law court- The idea that this was an impartial decision.

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  3. Chris,

    I think they are trying to do something as we talk.

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  4. "this decision" - i mean the rumoured decision that the parole commissioners have refused to grant Marion leave to attend. I have never met Marion, but it is heartbreaking if it is true, any decent person would surely agree.

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  5. My blood is boiling! People call this place a “country”, it’s not! It is an artificial state created, as usual by the british. Where has micro minister David Ford been? Where have the so-called “journalists” been? Why are they not asking questions, like, they call this a country, the place is going mental (i.e. the flags “protests”). Where are you? If this was Republican/Nationalist protests, they would have been “Baton Rounded”, beaten with batons and hosed off the street with your Water Cannons within seconds! I haven’t seen that horrible bastard Ford (who, remember has the “yes” or “no” button over Marian in weeks!

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  6. Fingers crossed AM, my thoughts are with the family.

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  7. Anthony:

    I sincerely hope Ford hears the cries for Marians release, even if only for a week, or, for that matter to attend her prodigal sister, Dolours funeral. I have never known , nor met a Unionist who shows remorse to any nationalists, but, lets have another Hunger strikers funeral (May they rest in peace) for this brave comrade, lets show the Unionists and the British that we care about our own people, lets go out in mass procession to this funeral and give this lady the respect which she is due because I am of the firm belief that MI5 will say "NO", Please let me be wrong on that one. The risen people!.

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  8. itsjustmacker

    I hope the funeral is massive myself. i saw Adams on tv and he would sicken ye! Really hope that snake doesn't get doing what he did at the Dark's funeral.

    The brits will show themselves to be as evil as ever if Marian isnt let out.

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  9. While checking the news items last night I discovered that Marian Price had been refused compassionate parole, no surprise there same old same old. UVF men according to the Chief PSNI man are conducting the riots in the North but he suggests that to arrest them could inflame the situation even more, once again same old same old.
    But something new actually caught my attention which will be even of more interest to a lot of people …
    Will Dolours Price be buried along with her comrades in the republican plot at Milltown ???
    Dolours Price is no different to those already buried in the republican plot; it is her right to be buried there. The sisters were among the first icons of the Provo’s along with The Dark whose ashes were deposited in Co Louth
    If this woman is to suffer one more betrayal by the her former republican family and not be buried along with Bobby Sands and others who have great sacrifices then why should we expect the British establishment to show compassion ????
    May she rest in peace

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  10. Dealing with a family death in prison is never easy.
    However in Marian's situation it is much much worse. She doesnt have the luxury of closing a cell door on the world.
    Her place of captivity is like a gold fish bowl, mirrors trained on her every waking and sleeping moment.
    Armed guards on twenty four hour watch outside her hospital/prison door.
    Privacy is totally non-existent. How cruel is that!

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  11. Boyne Rover
    Read the post I put on about Baggott, you’ll find it at the bottom of “Hope not Hate” by Dr. John Coulter.

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  12. Fionnuala
    I agree with you 100%. Even at the height of the conflict, say, in the 70’s people got compassionate leave if a family member died. Not so sure now though.

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  13. Belfastgit I was refused bail when my Father died but i had all the compassion in the world.
    Marian does not have that, just screws, cops and those who attend her medical needs. It beggars belief that a sick woman is being treated like this because of her political beliefs.

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  14. Republicans always tended to honour their compassionate paroles. I think one guy came back late after he went on the drink and he was put out of the cages for it. A bit severe but the facility was something the jail leadership wanted protected. In 1983 a loyalist then a republican jumped parole in quick succession. Their colleagues and comrades suffered severely as a result, being denied the right to attend the funerals of immediate family for years afterwards. The republican jumped in the full knowledge that one of his comrades was waiting to go out for his mother's funeral. It was denied to him.

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  15. There's a black flag vigil tonight at 7pm in support of Marian at Andersonstown Leisure Centre.

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  16. Was just contemplating the scenario of Adams, McGuinness, Scap and Baggot all turning up at the funeral...

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  17. I am shocked at the level of inhumanity that is being imposed on Marian and her family. There is no reason to keep this woman in prison and not be allowed to be with her family and grieve for his sister. This goes beyond cruel.

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  18. Even the London criminal Reg Kray was allowed out to attend his brothers funeral.

    Does what Marion, a 60 year old woman represents really threaten the UK State that much, how they must hate and fear this gallant woman.

    What does this say about such a State, we can only hope common decency will win the day. If not it will be yet another black stain on the British governments role in Ireland.

    Condolences to Dolours family and friends.

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  19. Larry:

    "Was just contemplating the scenario of Adams, McGuinness, Scap and Baggot all turning up at the funeral..."

    and Adams and McGuinness asking scap for unpaid subscriptions!" , Those two would be brazen faced enough to turn up, unless the message has been delivered, "You are not welcome.

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  20. So much for Policing and Justice having been devolved to Stormont.

    If Marty was correct then it is the Stormont government keeping Marian in prison. The person both PSF and the DUP put in charge of Justice, Ford, is as bad as any British SoS.

    Anyway, no matter who is to blame - The British or their Puppet Politicians - Marian Price is proof that nothing has changed in the North....In fact any form of dissent now risks imprisonment without charge nor even knowing what one is charged with.

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  21. Of thread and I apologise but I read yesterday that the Dublin government is proposing bringing in legislation that will ban ex prisoners from holding a taxi driving licence,q$£ ,s transport spokesperson is Dessie Ellis an ex pow himself,he has issued a statement on behalf of the party asking the minister not penalise ex pows who support the "peace process" in other words if your not singing from their hymn sheet your fucked this two faced fucker turned up at a free Marian demo in Dublin recently, now it seems if this proposal goes through,you can get elected and run the country but you wont be able to taxi someone to the Dail,so much for a new beginning,

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  22. Marty:

    If it is pushed through the dail, then expect the same in the partitioned 6 counties in the North.
    Big money to be made in that business.

    Dessie Ellis could have worded that better, though it has been written by someone else ,I know were your coming from Re, Only those who supported the GFA, so that tells me that this law only pertains to Republican Ex POWs, because they cant make a law banning ordinary ex prisoners having a Taxi Licence, they have committed the crime and done the time. It should be put to SF, "How come you's are allowed to be in government as ex POW's yet ex comrades who do not support your politics may loose their taxi licence"

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  23. What I am surpised about (and not) is the almost deafening silence coming from PSF quarters.

    I've looked around the internet and on PSF sites there is very little about Marian's right to be released. Some do pay lip service but thats the height of it. It was only a few weeks ago that they moved heaven and earth to have Padric Wilson released/bailed/freed

    The least I expected in my naivety was for Gerry Adams to pen a tribute to her on his blog, same as Danny Morrisons blog...But as of yet nothing.

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  24. Dixie:

    Not even Ford has a say in the matter, he has to ask the suits in whitehall (MI5), the same ones who are keeping Marian and others Interned.

    Frankie:

    I expected nothing from those shower of shites.

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  25. Marian granted Bail, after Dolour's Death, But its now up to the Northern Ireland secretary to approve it, via MI5.

    Marians Bail Granted will she be released?

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  26. frankie if your waiting for those two wasters to say anything other than for the optics how sorry they are then a cara as my ma used to say "god help your wit"!

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  27. The first thing I thought of when I heard Dolorus had passed away was Marian and would the muca release her for the interrment? Seems they're playing 'mind games' with Republican's and the family, 1969 - 2013, no change while the leader of the party which failed to support power sharing in the start of the century sits idly by and p[ermits an already ill heroine to become more ill shows his 'professional qualification' is as useless as his party.

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  28. Marty, just re-aligning this a bit, about two years ago I wrote to all Deputies regarding the gaoling of Republicans, I did eventually get a response on behalf of Sinn FĂ©in from the bearded bollock's but the response I got within a few hours, wholly agreeing with my points and agreeing to raise them with Ford/Patterson was from Dessie Ellis. I'd rather have him than my own Deputy.

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  29. Marie and I picked up Pat Ramsey ,his pa Emmet Doyle and Pauline Mellon,in the wee small hours this morning on the other side of Toome,we left Pat of at Windsor House where he with Jennifer Mc Cann accompanied Marian to her family home on a three hour release,this meager and limited release allowed in a small way Marian to say farewell to her sister Dolours.grateful thanks to both mla,s

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  30. Marty,

    I am relieved at this. At least she got to be with Dolours for some small time. But this should not be allowed to become established as the precedent. It is simply not ggod enough. It is the minimum the British would give to allow them a veener of respectability. Compassionate parole in the event of bereavements should as a minimum cover where practical from death to burial.

    Appreciation to all involved and to those who made the effort to travel at such difficult hours to make this possible.

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  31. TDs make urgent call for compassionate release of Marion Price for her
    sisters funeral

    January 26, 2013

    We call on the Justice Minister David Ford to allow Marion Price
    compassionate release to join her family and attend the funeral of her
    sister Dolours Price.

    Marian Price is already suffering from physical and mental health
    difficulties which has resulted in her detention in a hospital
    facility for the past number of months. Continuing to detain her in
    isolated custody to grieve alone as her sister is buried can only have
    a detrimental impact on her health.
    We support the call of Marion’s lawyers who have asked Mr. Ford to
    consider allowing her to spend a week with her family to deal with her
    loss. The case for allowing her to grieve at her sister’s funeral will
    be shared even by people of profoundly different ideas and background.

    We urge Mr Ford as an act of compassion to act urgently and release Marion Price in time for her sister’s funeral.

    Signed,
    Richard Boyd Barrett TD
    Joan Collins TD
    Clare Daly TD
    Thomas Pringle TD

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  32. Fair play to the TDs who made this call.

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  33. Marty; was she only released for a few hours in the middle of the night? Have I got this right?

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  34. Belfast Bookworm Marian was released for three hours this morning from 8am until 11am and as Anthony rightly says it is simply not good enough,my thoughts were its like a cat playing with a half dead mouse vindictive and unnecessary,they said we are going to have a new beginning fuck this looks like same old same old.if they truly believed their argument then let them put Marian and Martin through due process.

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  35. Marty:

    A Little is better than nothing.

    A big thank you to those MLA's, but, Also to Yourself and Marie, and to the TD's who have called for Marians release.
    At least Marian will be able to grieve with her family for a short time, as Anthony stated, It should have been from Dolours Death (R.I.P.) until the burial, this is the Brits way of saying, we still control everything. SCUM OF THE EARTH.

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  36. Marty,
    Fair play to you, marie et al for putting yourselves out and reuniting Marian even briefly with Dolours. Its gestures like you have shown that helps restore faith in humanity. My hat is off to you.

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  37. Brits are keeping Marians short release a big secret. Nothing in the news about it. I wonder why.

    Are they going to release a massive press statement and make themselves the good guys ,by stating , As a matter of goodwill she was released on humanitarian grounds to grieve with her family for a short time, She is now back in her hospital ward under 24/7 guard, (INTERNED) (PRISON).

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  38. Fair play To Marian it must have been incredibly hard.
    A final farewell the hardest thing made ultimately harder by ridiculous preconditions and chaperone.
    Fair play to her solicitor Peter Corrigan for bringing her home even if it was only for a few short hours.
    Bernadette Devilin paid the most beautiful and fitting tribute to Dolours in Derry today. Her fitting tribute was woven into the justice speech in Bernadettes usual easy, articulate and genuine manner.

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  39. Following on from Marty's post, it has to be said that he and his lady wife played a crucial role in the [understandably] covert operation yesterday and should be given due credit for their dedication to Marian and her family.

    AM - did I happen to see you at the march yesterday?

    Bookworm - no, it was early in the morning.

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  40. Emmet,

    no I wasn't at the march yesterday. My wife was. I was the funeral today

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  41. I can't help but think a couole of hours was more cruel than not being paroled at all.

    That Marian herself may have even been too ill to withstand more than that is besides the point. If she's too ill to cope with more than 2-3 hours then she's too ill to be in gaol at all.

    And why so early in the morning? Are they afraid that people would have seen her, saw how ill she actually is and be sickened into taking action to campaign for her release?

    God bless her. My hearts going out to her at this awful time.

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  42. If rain meant tears then there were bucketloads shed today.its a pity that as republicans we seem to gather only at the saddest occasions,

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  43. I wonder if Marian knew just how prophetic her words were to be (FF until 18mins 45seconds and listen)...

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  44. Marty:

    "If rain meant tears then there were bucketloads shed today.its a pity that as republicans we seem to gather only at the saddest occasions,"

    That's true Marty, but look on the Bright side, those scum who still have the cheek to call themselves Republicans (SF) have to go through the onslaught, they now release they are no longer fooling the people. Were's Michael Henry, showing his true colours of course, or was he warned not to make any comments about a true Republicans burial. only he can answer that!.

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  45. Frankie:

    It was not just Marian who foresaw what was happening within SF, It was a foregone conclusion they were selling out, but what gets me so mad is, Brainwashed Dumbos are still buying Adams Books, those scum are still making money on those ten brave men who paid the ultimate sacrifice by dying on hunger strike, Its only locals who opposed this will be able to write the truth of SF's deceit. The world now knows what they have done.
    They took the queens shilling and by entering stornmont they themselves became British and guarenteed £100,000 per year from the british, but the biggest laugh is, they may be about to lose that money, That's if the DUP have there way. Its at the moment being debated in the UK parliament for the withdrawal of those funds. I cant wait for the results!

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  46. itsjustmacker-



    " Were's Michael Henry,showing his true colours of course, "

    I hold the same opinion of a person
    when they die as when they are living but i choose to say nothing about Dolours on the Quill during her wake and funeral if that is all right with you-but i read all the posts and comments and you would need to have a heart of stone not to see how much she was loved by others who write on the Quill-

    Eamonn McCann got bad manners in todays newsletter for paying Tribute to Dolours price by jean mcConville son in law Seamus McKendry-McCann is also being taunted by Alex Kane on twitter today over his speech-

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  47. michaelhenry:

    Point taken and I understand were your coming from. I know how much she was loved by all who commented on her death, but she was loved by more than us on the quill, throughout Ireland and beyond, she was loved.

    As For Eamonn getting bad mannered by Seamus McKendry and taunted by Alex Kane, I'm sure it will be like water of a ducks back to him.

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  48. Michaelhenry

    I think you have been straight enough to be fair. I was critical of the protests in prison and on Marion getting arrested. I still feel those things were questionable to say the least.

    Politically however there is little question in my mind that the funeral of Delours was a watershed which stripped SF of any last semblance of republicanism. You guys are now right up there 'officially' with the sticks.

    That's my political take, nothing personal.

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  49. Just thinking, where exactly does Eamonn McCann fit in to all of this? Is the funeral oration a new stance/approach from Eamon?

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  50. Larry,

    a long standing friendship almost as old as us!

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  51. Mackers

    i see. Always love reading his works. War and an Irish town was my first political read when I up-graded from Walker Macken at 14 or so. He always sailed close to the wind politically Eamonn but was inteligent enough (in hindsight) to refrain from involvement with militarism. A great deal more integrity than those big names who were the opposit for decades than what we were led to believe.

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  52. Aye Larry but Eammon the socialist doesnt have a big house out on the Letterkenny rd,on your way home pass by and weep,but no trespassing these grounds are for republican socialists only....

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  53. totally agree Marty. If it's true about that house then a lot of 'heads' who were in the provos want to be asking a few BIG questions....round about the 'blaney somewhere!!

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  54. An interesting comment from the Prisons Ombudsman that they haven't received a complaint about the conditions of Marian Price's imprisonment. Also defending strip searching.

    http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2013/0201/1224329514680.html

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  55. This comment has been removed by the author.

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