Every trade union activist within the trade union movement both here in Ireland or across the world must act and speak out against injustice in all its forms as it remains the core point of working class organisation for our class, both in the workplace and in the community.
In doing so, it must support and demand the immediate release of the yet another two innocent men currently held on false charges in an unprecedented miscarriage of justice not witnessed since the Guildford Four or the Birmingham Six.
Just as with the Guildford Four and the Birmingham Six, the State in all its guises, be it as part of the security establishment or that of its media, in every underhanded way possible sought to defer, target and intimidate all those who dared to speak of the obvious facts in relation to their cases. They painted it through the media as a Republican or dangerous single issue which it fact was the opposite. This in turn further added to the gross miscarriage of justice and continued detention of those innocent of any crimes the State wrongfully inflicted against them.
Due to this, both the Birmingham Six and Guildford Four wrongfully remained isolated, hidden and incarcerated for years with no unified campaign or voice to speak publicly speak out or seek justice on their behalf other than their immediate family circle.
In giving context to the continuing imprisonment of Brendan and John Paul, Paddy Hill of the Birmingham Six and founding member of Miscarriage of Justice Organisation MOJO said of the ongoing imprisonment of the Craigavon Two:
"Before his untimely death the last case Gerry Conlon and I campaigned on together was the case of the Craigavon 2. Two more innocent Irish men left to languish in jail for a crime they did not commit. We believed, and I still believe, Brendan McConville and John Paul Wootton have suffered the same fate as us. Political prisoners who have been abandoned to their fate by a society indifferent to that fate. Out of sight of mind. We urge all those of good conscience to look at the case.
"They need your voice to be their voice. They need you to speak for them. They need you to raise their case in every place you can. We need you to put their case into the spotlight. Injustice can only win if we do nothing."
If we allow the ongoing incarceration of the Craigavon Two to continue unchallenged then we give a green light to that same State and its apparatus to further target, arrest, detain and disappear anyone one of the population, any innocent victim it sees fit to. This can never be allowed to happen. The continued imprisonment of the Craigavon Two is a human rights issue that immediately requires a unified campaign of which the trade union movement must play a part.
In doing so, the IWW calls upon all those who declare any interest in or who adheres to issues of social justice and working class solidarity to read about the case of the Craigavon Two and talk to others about the case.
Raise the issue of the Craigavon Two in your trade union or community organisation. Discuss and pass a message of solidarity and support for their immediate release.
Contact your local representatives or politicians and ask them directly to support the case and raise it wherever and whenever they can.
Talk to friends, family and comrades about how you can best highlight and show solidarity and support with the campaign.
Write or send a post card or message or solidarity directly to John Paul Wootton and Brendan McConville at Maghaberry Prison,17 Old Rd, Lisburn BT28 2PT.
An injustice to one is an injustice to all!
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