The politcal wing of the INLA has urged its ex-prisoners to support the 'dirty protest' by dissident republicans in Maghaberry Prison.
Prisoners linked to the Real IRA and Continuity IRA are now in their third week of protest at the Co Antrim jail in a bid to win a return to segregation from other inmates.
The prisoners claim their lives are in danger as a result of being integrated with loyalist prisoners.
The Irish Republican Socialist Party (IRSP) has now come out in support of the protest, however, a spokesman insisted that the party disagreed with the dissidents' support of an armed struggle.
Eddie McGarrigle, a member of the Ard Comhairle of the IRSP, said it was "imperative" that a united stance be taken by all republicans in support of segregation.
"The IRSP fully support the right to segregation and we recognise that they are political prisoners involved in a legitimate form of protest," he told a group of ex-INLA prisoners in Derry.
"I fully understand the frustrations that have driven the prisoners to this and I call on all former INLA prisoners to come out and demonstrate in support of the call for segregation.
"The IRSP would like to see a unified campaign instead of the current divisions between republicans.
"Disunity weakens the possibility of winning the prisoners' justified demands."
He said the IRSP was calling for the establishment of a broad-based committee comprising representatives of all republican groups and supporters to demand segregation at Maghaberry.
"The history of the H-block mass struggles during the 1981 hunger strikes show what can be achieved by a unified campaign," he said.
"But such support for the prisoners should not be seen as an endorsement for the continuation of armed struggle by Republican groups."
Mr McGarrigle stressed his party's committment to the political process.
"The IRSP are very clear about the futility of the continuation of armed actions," he said.
"We urge other republicans to take the political road. It is the only way forward to progress republican objectives."
A protest was staged at the old Armagh Prison on Saturday in support of the dissidents' action.
