1,200 letters to Ahern on the mis-use of Shannon Airport by the Irish Government & CIA torturers.

galway | rights, freedoms and repression | news report Sunday February 12, 2006 18:07 by Tommy Donnellan - Amnesty International Irish Section

Speak/Shout out against what the Irish Government is turning a blind eye to in Shannon Airport !

With a hiatus last Sunday and Monday, AI activists have been outside Lynch's castle, Shop Street, Galway from 12 noon 'til 6PM since last Saturday week, garnering signatures and addresses to AI's letter of protest to Minister Dermot Ahern, so , there are 1,200 letters that are going directly to him, in the hope he will fulfil Ireland's obligations under international law, the European Charter for Human Rights, Geneva Convention, etc.

Colm, a notorious CIA torturer and Fianna Fail/PD supporter doing the decent thing after being knocked off his steed and undergoing a metaphysical mutation on the road to Shannon

10 February 2006

Minister Dermot Ahern
Department of Foreign Affairs
80 St. Stephen’s Green
Dublin 2

Dear Minister

In response to allegations that the US Military and the Central Intelligence Agency have illegally transported prisoners to countries that are accused of using torture, I join a growing number of voices including the Irish Human Rights Commission, the Council of Europe and Amnesty International in requesting that the Government ensure that the transit of prisoners is not occurring through Shannon Airport and that the Irish Government is not complicit in carrying out torture by allowing this use of its airports. The practice of “rendition”, the arrest and transport of people without due process and often to countries that have in the past used torture or committed other human rights violations, is against international law. While the United States Government has declared that no prisoners have been transported through Shannon Airport, I do not think it is enough to accept this claim as there is growing evidence gathered by many organisations that show CIA planes used to transport prisoners landing repeatedly at Shannon. Therefore, I demand that inspections of planes are carried out to be certain that the Irish nation is not involved in the transport of people to countries that use torture.

Amnesty International has located flight logs for several planes that have been directly linked to the transport of people against their will and without due process. Several of these people have reported experiencing torture after their release. Because these flight logs do not indicate the purpose or type of passenger, this casts doubt on claims that the planes are not being used to transport prisoners. According to the US Federal Aviation Administration over this period, these planes landed 50 times in Shannon and took off 35 times, suggesting that some flights were kept secret. This is part of a total of 800 such flights within Europe. These flights have transported prisoners to countries such as Syria and Egypt who have poor human rights records as well as to Guantanamo Bay where prisoners have been held for years without legal process.

Article 3 of the European Charter for Human Rights states, “No one shall be subjected to torture or degrading treatment or punishment.” Since Ireland is a signatory nation for this Charter, it is important that the Government ensures that no transport of prisoners is conducted to nations that use torture or have a record of using torture. Diplomatic assurances from the United States Government are not enough. The Irish Government has a duty to conduct inspections on any planes that use its airports to ensure that human rights violations are not being abetted by the practice of transiting prisoners through Shannon Airport. The Irish Government, where there is doubt, must establish who is on board planes transiting via their airports, under whose authority they are being transported and for what purpose.

Likewise, because Ireland is a member of the European Union, I would encourage you as Minister for Foreign Affairs to support and assist the ongoing investigation across Europe concerning the transport of prisoners to places of torture and illegal prisons as well as the very serious allegations that secret detention centres have been set up within the boundaries of Europe.

Sincerely,

More victims doing the right thing, from L to R : Maria from Malaga, Liga from Latvia, Gesha from Budapest, don't know the name of the Irishman at the heel of the queue

From L to R : Nick, Martha holding Uisce, Andy and Stevo, don't know the name of the man in black in the background

AI activists last Wednesday