Shannon Torture Watch

clare | rights, freedoms and repression | event notice Tuesday July 01, 2008 15:41 by John Lannon

Monthly vigil to highlight the airport's involvement in torture and war

The monthly Torture Watch vigil will take place at Shannon Airport on Sunday 13th July from 5pm to 6pm. As usual the meeting place is the small roundabout before the airport.

Amnesty International’s recent report on renditions and secret detention shone a light once again on Shannon’s role in facilitating torture. Planes that are likely to be actively involved in illegal detention, “disappearance” and torture continue to land at the airport, but the Irish government, the Gardai and the airport authorities turn a blind eye. In some cases these are “civilian” aircraft; planes such as N54PA that landed at Shannon several times in the last month also included Guantanamo Bay in its itinerary. In other cases they are military planes, bringing hundreds of soldiers - and perhaps weapons of torture - to Iraq on a daily basis, contributing to an ever-worsening human rights situation there.

The monthly Torture Watch is an opportunity to demand accountability for what is going on at Shannon. It is also a small act of remembrance of those to whom we have caused suffering and pain through our airport’s involvement in torture. And it is a reminder to the authorities that steps must be taken to investigate whether or not Irish territory and airspace is been used illegally and against our wishes.

Come along to support.

(Amnesty press release and report is available at http://www.amnesty.ie/amnesty/live/irish/news-events/ar...=4522.)