Sean McGovern allowed to challenge segregation at Portlaoise
Sean McGovern, a convicted leader within the Kinahan network, may challenge his segregation in Portlaoise Prison. Irish court reporters said Judge Mary Rose Gearty granted permission on 27 October.
The High Court proceedings are against the Irish Prison Service, the prison governor and the Minister for Justice. McGovern seeks to overturn the decision keeping him in a segregated unit. He also requests a declaration that the isolation breaches the European Convention on Human Rights.
His court papers say he is often confined to his cell for more than twenty hours a day. He alleges severe restrictions on contact with other prisoners, exercise, education and medical facilities, and attributes deteriorating mental health to those conditions. The documents cite security concerns as the reason for segregation; McGovern disputes that his situation justifies these measures.
In June, McGovern received a 24-year sentence after pleading guilty to two charges of directing a criminal organisation. The permission granted on 27 October concerns proceedings about his prison conditions. The Irish Times and Irish Examiner reported that the case would return in November.
