SINN Fein has accused the British government of taking the "lowest form of revenge" after two republican prisoners were informed that they will remain in jail for the rest of their lives.
Paul Kavanagh and Tommy Quigley are serving life sentences for the 1981 Chelsea Barracks and Oxford Street Wimpy Bar bombings in which three civilians were killed.
They were transferred last year from England to the Maze Prison in Co Antrim. Both men were told last week that they would never be considered for release by the parole board.
They were also informed that if there was a review of their cases it would be conducted by a British government minister after they had served 25 years in prison and every five years thereafter.
A Northern Ireland Office spokesman confirmed the decision, which he said had been made by the British Home Office in London. Sinn Fein said it was the first time such a development had occurred and described it as "very worrying".
The party's prisons spokesman, Mr Joe Austin, said: "This is a vindictive and deplorable decision by the British. I fear that a precedent has been set and that more prisoners will now receive the same treatment.
"When Tommy and Paul were transferred back to the North last year there was some hope that perhaps there would be movement on the prisons issue.
"But the British government seems determined to treat prisoners as political hostages and has actually hardened its attitude. It is engaging in the lowest, most menial form of revenge."
Mr Austin said that jailed British soldiers had received very different treatment. "One year ago, British paratrooper Lee Clegg was released after serving two years of a life sentence for the murder of a teenager.
"His treatment and that of another British soldier, Ian Thain, is in stark contrast to the attitude displayed by the British government towards Irish political prisoners," he added.