The Release of Martin Corey

Statement from POW Department, Republican Sinn Féin

THE release of Martin Corey from Maghaberry jail in Co Antrim on January 14, 2014 was “not before time” according to Josephine Hayden, a spokesperson for the POW Department, Republican Sinn Féin who welcomed his release in a statement on January 15.

She said “The treatment meted out to Martin Corey for nearly four years was nothing short of barbaric and it was difficult to get the general public and the media interested in Martin Corey’s internment from the beginning. While, quite rightly, we saw/see criticism of the mistreatment of prisoners in other countries – on social media and in the press — the case of Martin Corey was ignored, with a few honourable exceptions, by people here at home.

“The various British secretaries of state hid behind a wall of silence and claimed that Martin Corey was ‘a threat to the public’. Their case was based on secret evidence/closed material and unspecified allegations. The role of the courts to ensure that ‘not only must justice be done, but must be seen to be done’ took such a back seat that it disappeared.

“Not only was justice not done to Martin Corey, an injustice was done to him. Unspecified allegations are not allowed in courts of law, unless of course the allegations are made by states. We have seen the British Crown Forces and their collaborationists hide behind physical screens and screens of silence in many cases down the years, black-ops in good working order, still operational.

“For almost four years Martin sat in a jail cell not knowing why he was there – this is also the type of action that even the British condemn in other countries.

“Martin was held without any due process, he was never questioned from the time of his arrest about any specific incident(s) and his legal team have never been allowed to challenge any of the secret evidence that was bought before the Parole Commissioners – neither the legal team or the judge saw the secret evidence adjudicated on by a state appointed advocate.

“On his release the statement from the Northern Ireland (sic) Office said ‘The Parole Commissioners have decided to release Martin Corey on a licence that is subject to conditions which are designed to manage the risk they assess him to pose.’ On his release – after four years – we are still asking the question ‘what risk’?

She concluded: “Is it any wonder the Republicans have no confidence in and refuse to engage with what operates as the justice system in the Occupied Six Counties, when it sees a man who ran his own business for 20 years, just picked up and interned on the word of some anonymous MI5 individuals and held without charge or trial for almost four years. And who, according to media reports [BBC and UTV January 14/15, 2014], cannot even reside in his own home town.

“Martin should never have been interned in Maghaberry or any other jail. He should have been, and should be now, at home with his family and friends, working at his business and getting on with his life.

Martin Corey Campaign welcomes his release

Finally after nearly four years internment, Martin Corey was released from Maghaberry jail, Co Antrim on January 15th, 2014. Martin was interned on secret evidence gathered by secret police and held without a charge or trial since April 2010.

The British Government, secretary of state and all those involved in the internment of Martin Corey showed contempt for human rights and were involved in a despotic policy of ruling by decree.

We would like to thank everyone who was involved in the Release Martin Corey Campaign, Republican Sinn Féin, the countless activists who stood on picket lines and those who went to jail themselves to highlight Martin’s case.

We take this opportunity to welcome Martin home and wish him the best of luck in the future.

Release Martin Corey Committee: http://www.releasemartincorey.com

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Martin Corey is a Republican from Lurgan, Co. Armagh. He was sentenced to LifeImprisonment in December 1973. At that time he was only 19 years old. He was to spend the next 19 years of his life in jail until he was finally released without signing anything in June 1992.

Without warning on April 16th 2010 he was taken back into custody.  No Reason was given to Martin at the time or since his return to jail.

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In the below video you can see the Chairperson of the independent “Release Martin Corey Committee” speaking on Martin’s Internment.  We urge all republicans, socialists and those concerned with the protection of Human Rights to help out and support the Campaign for Martin Corey’s release in any way possible.

More information can be viewed on the campaign via the website:  www.releasemartincorey.com

[youtube video=”Oef84hUhAV4″ width=”700″ height=”420″]

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The Disappearance of Martin Corey

Martin Corey is a 62 year old man who has now been incarcerated at the behest of the British Secretary of State in Ireland for over 3 years. Martin has no charge against him and the only justification for his detention by his captors is that there is a dossier of Secret evidence against him.

So what is this secret evidence and who gathered it? It leads me to my next assumption, that there must be Secret Police working in the North of Ireland. Here is a definition of Secret Police”

“Secret police (sometimes political police) are intelligence agencies and or police agency, law enforcement office which operates in secrecy and also quite often beyond the law to protect the political power of an individual dictator or an authoritarian political regime.

Instead of transparently enforcing the rule of law and being subject to public scrutiny as ordinary police agencies do, secret police organisations are specifically intended to operate beyond and above the law in order to suppress political dissent through clandestine acts of terror and intimidation targeted against political enemies of the ruling authority.

Secret police are notorious for raiding homes between midnight and dawn, to apprehend people suspected of dissent.

People apprehended by the secret police are often arbitrarily arrested and detained without due process.”

This description sounds very familiar in the context of the 6 Counties currently under British Occupation in Ireland. Familiar today and not 30 or 40 years ago.

The internment of Martin Corey strikes at the very heart of democracy and the right to a fair trial. Martin cannot expect a charge never mind a trial. The British government have removed a man from his home and family, without giving him the right to know why. Because they have gave no evidence against him, Martin has no chance to challenge his internment. Martin has simply disappeared and it would seem the general public and media are content to allow this to happen.

Although We know where Martin is, he has for all intents and purposes simply disappeared , Disappeared from his home with no charge, locked in a prison cell and told he is there due to Secret Evidence. Of course in the western world he is entitled to object to this through the courts, when he did just that a Judge ruled that he should be released as his continued internment was a breach of his human rights.

The Secret Police and those who control them, stepped in and ordered that he remain in Jail, overstepping the rule of the Courts and removing any illusion of due process. What more evidence therefor do we need that the British Government is running a Secret Police force in Ireland to quell political dissent?

The use of secret evidence, a secret police and shady dealings going on between the British Government and the judiciary should be enough for any citizen to publicly question what is going on? It is now time that the media investigated what is going on, that those concerned with human rights issues and all citizens demand an explanation as to why a 62 year old man was taken from his home and incarcerated due to secret evidence that we cannot see. I question the secret evidence, is there evidence at all? or is this a well rehearsed ploy to stifle political dissent?

Demand the release of Martin Corey, do not allow this inhumanity to continue.

“First they came for the socialists,

and I didn’t speak out because I wasn’t a socialist.

Then they came for the trade unionists,

and I didn’t speak out because I wasn’t a trade unionist.

Then they came for the Jews,

and I didn’t speak out because I wasn’t a Jew.

Then they came for me,

and there was no one left to speak for me.”

Cáit Trainor

Release Martin Corey Committee