Tony Taylor (Irish republican)
{{Short description|IRA volunteer}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
Tony Taylor is a community activist and former Provisional IRA inmate from Northern Ireland who was sentenced to 18 years in prison in 1994 after he was seriously injured in a premature explosion in Derry. He was released under the terms of the Good Friday Agreement.{{Cite web|url=https://www.derrynow.com/news/good-friday-agreement-committee-seek-meeting-secretary-state-discuss-maghaberry-prison-tony-taylor/160644|title=Good Friday Agreement Committee to seek meeting with Secretary of State to discuss Maghaberry Prison and Tony Taylor - Derry Now}} In 2011 Taylor was arrested for possession of a rifle{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-northern-ireland-14421746|title=Two Londonderry men accused of having rifle|work=BBC News|date=Aug 5, 2011}} and released in 2014.{{Cite news|url=https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/northern-ireland/parade-marking-internment-without-trial-peaceful-after-block-from-city-centre-36004713.html|title=Parade marking internment without trial peaceful after block from city centre|newspaper=Belfasttelegraph|via=www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk}} Taylor was arrested two years later{{cite web|url=http://www.irishnews.com/news/2016/03/12/news/leading-republican-tony-taylor-returned-to-prison-after-licence-revoked-447862/|title=Leading republican Tony Taylor returned to prison after licence revoked|website=The Irish News|date=12 March 2016}} on the street in Derry, Northern Ireland on 10 March 2016 while on a shopping trip with his wife and children{{cite web|url=https://www.derryjournal.com/news/tony-taylor-was-arrested-on-a-shopping-trip-with-his-family-based-on-mi5-assessment-1-7786488|title='Tony Taylor was arrested on a shopping trip with his family based on MI5 assessment'|date=25 January 2017 |publisher=}} and was held for more than 2 years and 8 months in Maghaberry Prison near Lisburn in County Antrim.
Calls for Tony Taylor's release came from members of Derry City and Strabane District Council,{{cite web|url=https://www.irishnews.com/news/northernirelandnews/2018/06/01/news/secretary-of-state-refuses-to-meet-council-over-tony-taylor-case-1344836/|title=Secretary of State refuses to meet council over Tony Taylor case|first=Seamus|last=McKinney|website=The Irish News|date=June 2018}} Mayor of Derry, Maolíosa McHugh,{{Cite web|url=https://www.derrynow.com/news/councillor-calls-mayor-resign-following-unionist-anger-tony-taylor-visit/187801|title=Councillor calls for mayor to resign following unionist anger at Tony Taylor visit - Derry Now}} Northern Ireland MP Elisha McCallion,{{cite web|url=https://www.derryjournal.com/news/elisha-mccallion-raises-tony-taylor-case-at-downing-street-1-8010831|title=Elisha McCallion raises Tony Taylor case at Downing Street|date=15 June 2017 |publisher=}} and Irish Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Simon Coveney.{{cite news|url=https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/northern-ireland/coveney-staff-criticised-over-visits-to-republican-in-northern-ireland-prison-36895202.html|title=Coveney staff criticised over visits to republican in Northern Ireland prison|newspaper=Belfasttelegraph|publisher=|via=www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk}} Taylor's case was also raised in the Irish Senate,{{Cite web|url=https://www.derrynow.com/news/case-derry-republican-tony-taylor-raised-irish-senate/224215|title=Case of Derry republican Tony Taylor is raised in the Irish Senate - Derry Now}} the European Parliament{{Cite web|url=https://www.derrydaily.net/2017/09/13/anderson-raises-tony-taylor-incarceration-at-strasbourg/|title=ANDERSON RAISES TONY TAYLOR INCARCERATION AT STRASBOURG|date=Sep 13, 2017}} and the Commissioner for Human Rights.{{Cite web|url=http://assembly.coe.int/Documents/Records/2017/E/1704261530E.htm|title=1704261530E|website=assembly.coe.int}} The Northern Ireland Office (NIO) said that Tony Taylor's license was revoked by the Parole Commission because he posed a risk to the public, but his legal team were excluded from hearing evidence against him, which was heard in a closed session.{{Cite web|url=https://www.derrynow.com/news/breaking-derry-republican-tony-taylor-denied-release-prison/167377|title=BREAKING: Derry republican Tony Taylor denied release from prison | Derry Now|date=Jun 12, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180612141303/https://www.derrynow.com/news/breaking-derry-republican-tony-taylor-denied-release-prison/167377|archive-date=2018-06-12}}
On 28 November 2018, Taylor was freed after 993 days of imprisonment.{{Cite web|url=http://www.irishnews.com/news/northernirelandnews/2018/11/28/news/derry-republican-tony-taylor-to-be-released-1495369/|title=Derry republican Tony Taylor to be released today after almost 1,000 days behind bars|first=Connla|last=Young|date=Nov 28, 2018|website=The Irish News}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-northern-ireland-46364489|title=Republican Taylor released from prison|date=2018-11-29|work=BBC News|access-date=2018-12-20|language=en-GB}}