than a year on the basis of secret evidence neither she nor her lawyers have
been permitted to see. She is effectively interned without a trial, sentence, or
release date and unless the courts intervene she could spend the rest of her
life in prison.
Overruling the Judges
Marian Price has appeared in court twice and two different judges released her on
bail. Each time the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Owen Paterson,
overruled the judge and ordered her back to prison.
The Missing Pardon
NI Secretary of State Owen Paterson says that he has revoked her “license” (parole
in American terms). Price and her legal team say that she wasn’t on license
because she received a full pardon “the Royal Prerogative of Mercy” when she
was released from prison in 1980 because she appeared to be on the brink of
death from severe anorexia nervosa. The Northern Ireland Office has been
unable to produce the pardon, claiming that it has either been lost or
shredded. Price's lawyer Peter Corrigan says that this is the only time in the
entire history of the Royal Prerogative of Mercy that a pardon has gone
missing.
Marian’s Health
There are grave concerns for Marian Price’s health. She was too ill to appear
at a court hearing on May 11th even by video link. The prison doctors say she
needs to be either in a hospital or at home with her family. Marian Price’s
health was permanently damaged when she was force fed over 400 times
while on hunger strike in a British prison. Her husband, Jerry McGlinchey,
says she never recovered from the force feeding which caused tuberculosis
that had to be treated as recently as 2010. The anorexia has returned and
she suffers from such severe arthritis that she can't even open her hand.
TAKE ACTION.
Please write to Northern Ireland Secretary of State Owen Paterson
to demand Marian’s freedom!
Email: patersono@parliament.uk.
For information on how to support Marian:
releasemarianpricenyc@gmail.com
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