Raids In South Armagh - Suspected IRA Volunteers Badly Beaten

[Arm The Spirit]

Arrested Men Beaten Senseless

A number of men arrested last Thursday in South Armagh have
been severely injured in beatings by members of the crown forces.
Heavily armed British soldiers dressed in civilian clothes
and travelling in cars descended on an area near Cregganduff
outside Crossmaglen and arrested five men.
The men offered no resistance to arrest but were set upon by
the British troops in one of the worst ever cases of brutality at
the scene of arrests. One man was beaten, then was forced to
kneel and further beaten until he was semi-conscious. He was
beaten again after the four others were taken to Gough Barracks
in Armagh. When he arrived in Armagh he was bleeding heavily and
was disorientated. He was later admitted to Craigavon Hospital
where his extensive injuries were treated. He received stitches
to a wound behind his ear and staples to a head wound. He had
lacerations to his nose, ear and mouth and severe bruising to his
face. He also had a hand injury and puncture wounds to his arm.
The other men arrested received similar treatment and one
has been hospitalised twice since his arrest.
A resident who saw the site of the beatings reported that
"it was like a butcher's yard, there was so much blood".
Two others were arrested a number of miles from Cregganduff.
All seven were taken to Gough Barracks.
The men's solicitors have lodged formal complaints about
their treatment. The United Nations in Geneva are also "on
notice" about the case and details have been sent to the
Committee on the Administration of Justice and the British Irish
Human Rights Watch.
Pat McNamee, Sinn Fein candidate for Newry/Armagh, said it
was "an orchestrated attack by forces which have long terrorised
this area".
Raids and harassment is ongoing in the Cregganduff area.

(Source: An Phoblacht/Republican News - April 17, 1997 - WWW:
http://www.irlnet.com/aprn/)

Brits Beat Seven In South Armagh

By Christy Mac an Bhaird

British Army thugs, using techniques all too familiar to
Irish nationalist families in occupied Ireland, severely beat a
number of men recently detained in the Cullyhanna area of south
Armagh just outside Crossmaglen, leaving one with a broken hand
and another with broken ribs.
One of the seven men detained was Miceal Caraher, brother of
the former Sinn Fein worker, Fergal Caraher, who was murdered by
the British Army in an unprovoked attack in 1990 not yards from
the primary school where his mother was principal. Miceal was
also wounded in that attack.
The beatings took place over the weekend as the men were
being "questioned" at the massive British Army base in the heart
of Crossmaglen's town square. Over the past 28 years, British
Crown Forces in occupied Ireland and police in England have
repeatedly used beatings to extract forced confessions from Irish
nationals resulting in the frequent incarceration of innocent
people. The seven men have now been moved to the Gough garrison
where questioning will continue.
According to Crossmaglen Sinn Fein Councillor Jim
McAllister, "Local people have serious questions about the Crown
Forces claims regarding the arrest of these people. Some were
miles from any activity and on their own property when they were
taken."
"A lawyer representing one of the men confirmed they were
badly beaten and one had a broken hand and was taken to Craigavon
Hospital", said McAllister.
Meanwhile, several hundred British Army troops took over
homes in the Cullyhanna area in a major sweep aimed at uncovering
IRA weapons. One report said a sniper rifle, believed to be the
"super gun" used in nearly a dozen attacks by the IRA against
British occupation force, was discovered.
Residents in the Cullyhanna area were kept from their homes
over night as the British Army conducted its search. The family
of Peter John Caraher, father of Fergal and Miceal, were not
permitted to return to their home until 4 p.m. Saturday.
On Sunday evening, dozens of British Army helicopters were
reported over the area ferrying troops back to the British
occupation garrison at Forkhill. Large areas of farm land
continued to be closed off and searched by the British forces in
the area.
Further British Army raids were also conducted in Cappagh,
Co. Tyrone, over the weekend.
Hundreds of British troops descended on Cappagh and Galbally
from Chinook helicopters at 3 a.m., destroying land and property.
The troops constructed nearly two dozen underground emplacements
that they covered with metal roofs. They cut farm fences allowing
sheep to roam free. Farm outbuildings were also damaged in the
assault.
Sinn Fein Councillor Francie Molloy said the British Army,
"arrived in large helicopters and have rampaged through the area,
setting up countless vehicle checkpoints and generally harassing
everyone."
Delivery vans bringing in produce were also targeted for
general harassment with British soldiers messing about with
goods, dumping them onto the roadway.
"Some drivers have said they are not going back until the
British pull these checkpoints out and leave", Molloy said.
"Farmyards and doors at outhouses have been deliberately
broken and animals left to wander. A local Galbally man was being
waked from last Saturday and Sunday and mourners were pulled from
their cars as they called to pay their respects at his home. Even
during Monday mornings requiem mass in St. Joseph's chapel in the
village funeral goers were stopped and searched. Its a form of
community punishment", concluded the Dungannon councillor.

(Source: The Irish People - April 19, 1997)

Monaghan Man Denies Restorick Murder Charge

By Carmel Robinson, Banbridge, Co Down

(Irish Times - April 18, 1997) Three men arrested during a
security operation in south Armagh last week appeared at
Banbridge Magistrates Court in Co Down yesterday.
There was a large security force presence hours before the
10 a.m. appearance of Mr. Bernard Martin McGinn (40), of Henry
Street, Castleblayney, Co Monaghan, and two south Armagh men, Mr.
Micheal Colm Caraher (30), of Kiltybane Road, Cullyhanna, and Mr.
Martin Mines (28), of Glassdrum man Road, Crossmaglen.
Mr. McGinn faced six charges including the murders of Lance
Bombardier Stephen Restorick on February 12th, 1997, Lance
Bombardier Andrew Garret on December 2nd, 1993, and Mr. Gilbert
Johnston on August 29th, 1979.
He was also accused, with Mr. Caraher and Mr. Mines, of
possession of a Barrett bolt action rifle, an AKM assault rifle
and a quantity of ammunition, with intent to endanger life or
cause serious damage to property, on April 10th. They were all
charged with conspiring to murder a person or persons unknown on
April 10th and of belonging to a proscribed organisation, the
Provisional IRA.
Mr. Caraher was also charged with the attempted murder of
Constable Ronald Galwey on March 29th. Constable Galwey was
injured in a gun attack near Forkhill. Lance Bombardier Stephen
Restorick was killed at a checkpoint at Bessbrook, south Armagh.
Lance Bombardier Andrew Garret was killed in Keady as was Mr.
Gilbert Johnston, a former UDR soldier who was shot outside a
sweet shop. All the defendants denied the charges.
Mr. McGinn was brought into the dock handcuffed and flanked
by police officers in bullet-proof vests. His solicitor, Mr.
Gerry Trainor, said Mr. McGinn had been brought to Craigavon Area
hospital after his arrest on April 10th with a variety of
injuries. Mr. Trainor asked the investigating officer if he could
confirm that at the time of Mr. McGinn's arrest, injuries -
including extensive haematoma in both eyes, lacerations to the
nose, injuries to the right ear requiring stitches, injuries to
the head requiring staples, lacerations on the shoulders,
injuries to the arm caused by puncture wounds by rifle barrels
and injuries to the lower back - were evident.
The officer said he was aware there was a struggle when Mr.
McGinn was apprehended but he could not comment whether he had
injuries before his apprehension. He agreed Mr. McGinn had to be
taken to hospital after his arrest.
Mr. Trainor asked the officer if the defendant had been in
such continuous pain from injuries suffered on April 10th that he
had difficulty holding a pen. The officer said Mr. McGinn had
difficulty in holding a pen on April 16th when filling in forms.
Mr. McGinn, the court was told, has lodged a criminal complaint
alleging soldiers had assaulted him on April 10th.
Mr. Trainor inquired if the defendant, as a citizen in the
Republic, had not been informed of his rights to communicate with
the Irish embassy until April 15th, five days after his arrest.
The officer said he was aware there was contact with the Irish
consul during the defendant's detention.
The magistrate then asked the police to remove the handcuffs
from Mr. McGinn as the questioning had lasted such a long time.
Mr. Trainor also asked the police officer if he was aware
that the duration of his client's detention had breached the
European Convention on Human Rights. He said he was not.
Mr. Trainor asked if he could explain why Mr. McGinn had not
received any written caution from police since his arrest in
relation to any of the three charges of murder or membership of a
proscribed organisation. He also asked: "Can you explain to the
court why you did not, when you cautioned him on the April 16th,
1997, ask for him to account for his presence at the scene of the
murders of Bombardier Stephen Restorick, Lance Bombardier Andrew
Garret and Mr. Gilbert Johnston? In other words, can the court
take it that you do not allege that Mr. McGinn was present at the
scenes of any of these murders given that you have not asked him
had he been there?" The officer replied: "At this point, it would
not be a fair assumption to say that the accused was not at these
murders mentioned in the charges." Pressed on this, he said: "In
my opinion he would have had to be in or about the scene at the
time."
Mr. Trainor asked the officer for a detailed description of
the evidence the prosecution had which may connect Mr. McGinn to
the charges. The officer said he wis hed to withhold this
information. Further pressed, he responded: "The accused was at a
scene on the 10th of April, 1997. After protracted searches by
the police, there was a find of a Barrett rifle and an AKM
assault rifle."
Mr. Mines appeared next in the dock. His solicitor, Mr.
Thomas Tiernan, asked the RUC officer the nature of the evidence
against his client and received a similar reply. Mr. Tiernan also
inquired if the officer was aware that his client had made a
written statement to police accounting for his presence at the
scene of his arrest and denying the charges, to which the officer
replied he was aware.
He was also aware Mr. Mines had made a written complaint
that he was physically assaulted and sustained injuries to his
head and body during detention.
Mr. Caraher's solicitor, Mr. Trainor, said his client had
been taken to Craigavon Area hospital twice since his arrest
because of injuries to his hand, chest and head. These were
alleged to have happened at the time of his arrest by police and
soldiers.
Mr. Trainor asked the officer if he realised Mr. Caraher was
in "extremely poor health" as a result of extensive surgery he
went through between 1990 and 1991. Mr. Caraher was shot by
British soldiers in disputed circumstances in December, 1990, in
south Armagh. In the same incident, his brother, Ferghal, was
killed.
Mr. Trainor also said an objection had been lodged with the
Secretary of State to Mr. Caraher's six-day detention. When asked
if Mr. Caraher was either in or near the building in which the
weapons referred to in the charges were, the officer said he
believed he could connect the defendant to the building or near
it at the time he was apprehended. All were remanded in custody
to appear at the Maze court on May 7th.

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