TRIBUTES have been paid to Kevin Hannaway, one of the Hooden Men, who has died after a short illness, aged 77.
The West Belfast native was one of 14 Catholic men who were subjected to state-sanctioned torture when they were interned in 1971.
During interrogation the men were hooded, beaten, deprived of sleep, food and water, forced to stand in the stress position and thrown out of helicopters.
In 2021, the Supreme Court ruled that the methods used “would be characterised today” as torture. None of the Hooded Men were convicted of any wrongdoing.
In June 2023 the PSNI apologised to the men over the treatment they received more than 50 years ago.
In a joint statement, Saoradh and the Irish Republican Prisoners Welfare Association sent their deepest sympathies to the family of lifelong republican, former POW and IRA volunteer, Kevin Hannaway following his sad passing.
"Kevin was a tireless activist for the republican struggle, and the plight of republican prisoners and their families was to the fore for Kevin who himself had been imprisoned in recent years," they said.
"A proud anti-imperialist, Kevin did not stand idly by in the face of occupation and oppression. He took the conscious decsion to be a committed and dedicated revolutionary soldier and right up until his death he was a volunteer of the Irish Republican Army.
"A courageous and disciplined Irish republican, Kevin Hannaway was respected across the republican spectrum.
"Kevin will be sadly missed by his family, friends and comrades. Our heartfelt thoughts and sympathies are with Kevin’s family at this difficult time.
"Funeral arrangements will be made public in due course. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam."
In June 2023 another of the Hooded Men, Joe Clarke (71), died after a battle with cancer. We reported that he received an apology from the PSNI Chief Constable on his deathbed.
