Secretary of State revokes prison licence of top republican

Tony Taylor, spokesman for the Londonderry branch of Republican Network for Unity was returned to prison on Thursday on the order of Ms Villiers.

Sinn Féin vice-Chair of the Assembly Justice Committee Raymond McCartney MLA has called on the Secretary of State to release Tony Taylor immediately or else produce evidence of wrongdoing in open court.

Raymond McCartney said: “The continued use of unjust powers by the British government to revoke a person’s license without producing any evidence of wrongdoing is an affront to human rights and natural justice.

“Tony Taylor has been returned to prison without having been charged, questioned or allowed legal representation.

“Sinn Féin will be pressing the British SOS to bring the injustice of revocation of licences without having to produce evidence of wrongdoing to an end.

“If there is evidence to show that Tony Taylor is a risk to the public it should be put before him and his legal team in open court so that it can be challenged. Natural justice is being denied to this man and it needs to end.”