The freeing of some paramilitary prisoners which was due this week has been postponed because they made errors when filling out their early-release application forms, according to prison sources.
Last week, the Sentence Review Commission gave clearance for 15 releases. However, because of the application errors, only seven will be released this week, according to well-placed sources.
It is expected that three republican and three loyalist prisoners will be freed from the Maze prison tomorrow under the terms of the Belfast Agreement.
Initially, the releases were due today but were put back until tomorrow. A seventh prisoner, serving time in the non-paramilitary Magilligan Prison in Co Derry, is also due for release tomorrow. Prison sources said the form filling errors arose when a number of those applying only mentioned their main sentence and failed to report their concurrent sentences. This resulted in an administrative logjam which will delay their releases. "But that should only be a matter of days or weeks," said a prison source.
The sources also said that a number of victims or their relatives who had suffered at the hands of those being released were or are being informed about the releases. According to the sources, none of those being released this week were high-profile loyalists or republicans.
Mr Glyn Roberts, of Families Against Intimidation and Terror, urged the British government to exercise "extreme sensitivity" as the first batch of prisoners was freed. "This will be an extremely difficult week for the families of the victims of the paramilitaries, many of whom will be forced to relive the trauma of losing a family member when they see paramilitaries being given early release."
He called on those being released to be mindful of the sensitivities of the victims' families. "When you walk out those prison gates please do not indulge in any triumphalist behaviour for the benefit of the TV cameras. Remember that your victims will never get any early release from the grave."
