October 11, 2003 32 CSM Condemn Abduction of Its Members
Press Release

The 32 County Sovereignty Movement utterly condemn the abduction, interrogation and torture of one of our members Steven Moore earlier today. After a long litany of intimidation, threats and abuse members of the Provisional IRA finally came in the early hours of this morning (2nd October) and kidnapped Mr. Moore. This is not the first time this has happened to one of our members but ominously his abductors told his girlfriend that if she raised the alarm they would “do a Gareth O’Connor on him”. Gareth O’Connor was abducted by the Provisional IRA earlier this year and has not been seen or heard of since. Steven was stripped naked, had his head and face covered in duct tape, and then dressed in a white paper overall. His captors then bound his hands and feet behind his back and left him in a cold damp derelict house until this morning. He was then interrogated about anti-agreement republicans and told he was about to be shot.

Apparently after a commotion outside Steven was given his clothes and released.

Obviously Steven and his family are traumatized by the events as Stevens’s girlfriend has only recently suffered a miscarriage due in no small part to this constant intimidation.

Earlier in the year members of the special branch stopped Steven on his way home from a family wedding in England and told him that they would get a Provisional IRA death threat against him lifted if he set up a member of our National Executive for assassination.

At a time when the leadership of Sinn Fein is in Downing Street for talks with David Trimble about getting the “democratic process” back on track, the democratic rights of those who disagree with their strategies are being trampled on all over republican areas in Ireland. It would appear that there is one law for the Provisional movement and another for everyone else, their ceasefire only extends as far as the British security forces and not to ordinary nationalists and other republicans who “dissent” from their party line.

Steven Moore’s loved ones had only a few hours to wait to find out his fate. The 32 County Sovereignty Movement is mindful that there are still families waiting to find out the fate of their loved ones including Mark and Bernie O’Connor and we call on the Provisional movement to end their agony.

We further call on the leadership of Sinn Fein to condemn the abduction of Steven Moore and take steps to ensure that all the death threats against members of our movement are lifted forthwith. Now is the time for them to decide, they can no longer aspire to administer British rule in Stormont and administer jungle law on the streets.