by Caoimhin O'Conchuir, Oct 20, 1998

NEW YORK, Oct 17 -- Paul Doris, the national chairperson of the Irish Northern Aid Committee, welcomed the release on Friday evening of the H-Block 3 from a California prison and called on the British government to immediately drop its extradition demands.

"Judge Legg made the right decision when he granted bail to Kevin Artt, Pol Brennan and Terry Kirby, the H-Block 3. These men should not have been arrested in the first place, and it is only through the back-door efforts of the British government that their lives have been turned upside down," Doris said.

"The Irish Northern Aid Committee has worked hard to shine a light on British injustice in Ireland for 30 years. Part of that effort extended to Irish Republican political prisoners held in the U.S. It's time for the British to end the slow torture of these men and their families so they might get back to living their lives together," Doris said.

"It's also time for the U.S. Government to reconsider its position in relation to Richard Johnson, who remains in a Pennsylvania jail, more than 1,000 miles from his aging parents. His arrest and conviction were tainted, his sentence extraordinary. He should be released immediately. Holding on to him serves no good purpose and certainly does nothing to build confidence in the peace process," Doris said.

David Fanning, President of the Columbus Diarmuid O'Neill Unit of Irish Northern Aid, applauded the actions of Judge Legg regarding the HB 3. "Regardless of the agonizing delays, it is good to see justice finally prevail. Now I hope that Richard Johnson soon experiences the same", said Fanning.

The New York-based Irish Northern Aid Committee, founded in 1971, is a non-profit humanitarian organizations which raises funds for the families of Irish political prisoners in British, Irish and American jails.

Vol. Diarmuid O'Neill Unit, Irish Northern Aid Committee
PO Box 29604
Columbus OH 43229
Contact: David Fanning, Chairman, 614-488-3914, Email

Irish Northern Aid Committee
National Office: 363 Seventh Avenue, Suite 405
New York NY 10001
212-736-1916, 1-800-IRELAND
Fax: 212-279-1916

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