Families Against Intimidation and Terror (FAIT) accused republicans of "triumphalism" at the Maze Prison yesterday where three IRA and three UDA prisoners were released under the terms of the Belfast Agreement.
A seventh prisoner was released from Magilligan Prison in Co Derry. The releases marked the beginning of what will be a steady stream of republican and loyalist prisoner releases over the next two years.
The three loyalist prisoners were first to be released yesterday morning. They were shepherded away quickly from the prison by family members and supporters without speaking to the press.
The IRA prisoners were let out around noon, again without speaking to the press. A group of about 30 members of the republican prisoner rights group Saoirse gathered at the Maze during the morning carrying flags and banners, prompting Mr Glyn Roberts, spokesman for FAIT, to accuse republicans of "childish triumphalism".
He said Saoirse should issue an apology for their actions. He said it had been guilty of "insensitive flag-waving triumphalism", and urged the people of Northern Ireland to "rally round and give support to the victims and their families". Mr Martin Meehan , a former IRA prisoner and Saoirse activist, denied that republicans were being triumphalist. Saoirse was demonstrating at the Maze in support of the prisoners and to urge their speedy release.
The three IRA prisoners released were: Henry Louis McNally, who had served 10 years of a 22-year sentence for conspiracy to murder; Michael Gerard Magee, who was 10 years into a 20-year sentence for conspiracy to murder; and Sean Patrick McGuigan, who had served five years of a 12-year sentence for causing grievous bodily harm.
The UDA prisoners were: Matthew McCormick, who had served six years of a 14-year sentence for conspiracy to murder; Daniel Annesley, who was two years and three months into a five-year sentence for blackmail; and Gary Hall, who had served 6 1/2 years of a 14-year term for attempted murder. The seventh prisoner released from Magilligan was Mark Bellringer, who was three years into a seven-year sentence for manslaughter, and was not affiliated with any particular paramilitary group. Mr Adam Ingram, the North's security minister, said victims' families should be assured that the releases were not unconditional. There were strict conditions to the releases and if any of those released reoffended they would be back in prison.
Mr Seamus Mallon, the North's deputy First Minister, said he could understand public misgiving at the releases. However, the releases were not unprecedented. It should be remembered that over the past 10 or 12 years about 500 prisoners got early release.
A DUP Assembly member, Mr Ian Paisley jnr, said the releases were a "gross insult and injury" to the entire community. Society had demanded that people be punished for their crimes, and these prisoners had not been properly punished.
Mr Gerry Kelly, a Sinn Fein Assembly member from north Belfast, complained that the rate of releases was happening too slowly. He was pleased IRA prisoners were included in the first batch of releases but said more should have been let out of prison.
