Photo: CAMERAWORK Irish women demonstrate against Long Kesh internment camp LONG KESH POLITICAL PRISON Bob RUC. trial had said six years in prison for alleged IRA membership and photographing an IRA roadblock. He was convicted entirely on the contradicevidence of supergrass Christopher Black. His - wife COLLETTE BRESLIN recently spoke at several metings in the Midlands organised by the Campaign against the Show Trials. She talked to Anita Richards and Whitehead from Socialist Action.
Why is your husband in prison? My husband is involved in the Black trial. We call people like Black 'paid perjurers'. Black aamitea in courl that he had perjured himselt in murder trial some years ago and he also admitted taking money from the He said that previously he had perjured himself because he culdn't face prison. But now, apparently he - knowing full well that this time he had immunity from the court.
He couldn't even remember his children's birthdays in court. Yet he could give exact dates when he was with alleged IRA members. He was obviously 'programmed' by the RUC, and so was the judge.
At the committal proceedings he just glanced at the bill of indictment returned people for trial without hearing any evidence.
lasted eight months December 1981. All the defendents the salilc throughout. When asked to identify people Black just said 'secona trom 'second the right' or without looking up.
The judge found all 38 defendents guilty. twenty-one those who refused to sign statements in Castlereagh interrogation centre. My husband told the was told by the RUC that if he pleaded guilty to taking photos of an illegal road block for Republican would walk out of court, didn't they would membership charge on him.
They asked photography and if he supported the hunger strikes, and then - according to the transcript of the interview they talked about Communism. My nusband said the British were responsible for the famine of 1864 and their attitude hadn't changed since then. But this didn't make him a communist.
We don't know if he is in prison for being a communist or tor being in the IRA ference!
They also said that in refusing to answer questions he was acting according to iRA policy. But Father Faul has leafletted the nationalist areas to remind people of their right to silence.
What evidence did they have against your husband?
Only Black's words. The RUC said they found a camera in our house, but when the judge asked for it they said The they nad misplaced it'. Thev they had found 'subversive films' Mickey Mouse cartoons and Superman films which Desmond shows the places children.
was supposed to be photographing and gone out. were jailed callici a court that he trials?
News he but if he pin IRA belive him about paign going!
They ordinary the abroad as well. — it doesn't make much difcold one evidence Order.
said This is what he was doing when he he could have left the film running . The people who were supposed to have been stopped at the road block didn't see anyone with a Would they let people watch thes Not at first, but now you can. Some Labour MPs and Lord Gifford have been over. That's really good because without watching it you can't really what's going on with thes 'supergrass' trials.
How is the RUC's supergrass camhaving setbacks with supergrasses spontaneously retracting their evidence. The only way we can stop these show trials is by MPs and people putting pressure on British How can anything be justice with only one judge, and no jury, dealing with 38 people in one trial? Hov pelsul take in all the All 38 from the Black trial have appealed. I hear that the judge, Basil Kelly, has been made an appeal judge. There is a newspaper picture of him with an orange sash. All the senior judges are members of the Orange How is your tour of Britain going? Great. I just want people to know what's going on. Me, Desmond, people like us, we're all working class. If they do this to political people it Ireland, what's to stop them eventually doing it in Britain? They try these things out in Ireland. But eventually it'll come over here.