Twenty seven human rights lawyers from the US are to investigate the case of Mr Seamus McArdle, the south Armagh man on trial in London in connection with the explosion at Canary Wharf on February 6th, 1996. The lawyers are to visit him later this month at the end of his trial.
A prisoners' rights group, South Armagh Saoirse, highlighted his case in December, claiming that Mr McArdle had been subjected to a cruel and degrading regime at Belmarsh Prison since his arrest last April. The organisation began a campaign, with the McArdle family, protesting against what it called a denial of his basic human rights.
It claimed Mr McArdle is routinely humiliated by being stripsearched as much as 16 times a week, is locked up 22 hours a day with limited association and has very restricted access to visits from family and friends.
A Saoirse spokesperson yesterday said its appeal for people to write to the British government or Home Office to highlight the case had been a massive success. It also attracted interest from international human rights groups as well as the American lawyers.
The UN in Geneva has already put an "on notice" tag on the McArdle case following notification of an injury received during his initial detention in south Armagh last year. Details were also recorded by the Committee on the Administration of Justice and the London-based British Irish Rights Watch.
Mr McArdle's trial at the Old Bailey began last month. He has denied the charge of conspiracy to cause an explosion likely to endanger life or damage property.