Gaza Flotilla: Press Conference with Shane Dillon today at 2pm, Central Hotel, Dublin

international | rights, freedoms and repression | news report Wednesday June 02, 2010 10:57 by Kev - IPSC

Remaining Irish prisoners to be deported later today

There will be a press conference with returned Irish Flotilla detainee Shane Dillon today at 2pm in Central Hotel, Exchequer Street, Dublin 2. Mr Dillon, who was deported to Ireland late last night will speak of his experiences on board the Challenger ship when it was boarded by Israeli commandos on Monday where he said he witness the commandos physically attacking non-violent passengers. Also speaking at the press conference will be Aengus O Snodaigh TD, Chris Andrews TD and Senator Mark Daly, and it will be chaired Freda Hughes of the Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign (IPSC).

Shane Dillon arriving back in Dublin airport last night

Earlier today, IPSC Spokesperson Freda Hughes spoke to the Irish Embassy in Israel, and was told that Isam Bin Ali - a naturalised Irish citizen from Libya - was due to be on board a 10am flight from Tel Aviv to Ireland. Although the Embassy was unable to confirmed whether Mr. Ali was definitely on board, the said there was no reason to believe he was not. The other five Irish prisoners are reportedly due to be deported sometime after lunchtime today, though the Israeli Foreign Ministry has thus far refused to say any more than this, an Embassy official said. All their phones have been confiscated permanently and they are still being held incommunicado. Ms Hughes made an appeal to the Embassy to try to get permission for them to make a phone call before they leave, particularly Mr. Al Mahdi Al Harati who has a medical condition and has had no contact with his wife, Ms Eftaima Al Najar, in six days.

Yesterday, the Irish Ambassador to Israel, Breifne O'Reilly, yesterday gained access to all the Irish prisoners who were being held in in Be'er Sheba prison. He told the IPSC that - with the exception of the Australian-Irish dual passport holder journalist Paul McGeough - they had all been "roughed up" in one form or another and one of them reported that he was hit with a rifle butt. Despite this they were in good spirits and there were no hospitalisations of Irish people.

Those on board the Challenger reported to the Ambassador when their ship was boarded and taken by force, there was no live fire, but high velocity paintball gun and stun grenades were used against the passenger.

Meanwhile, the Irish-owned vessel the MC Rachel Corrie continues en route to Gaza with its 1,000 tonne cargo of medical supplies, children toys, eductional and rebuilding supplies. It is due to arrive sometime on Friday night or Saturday morning. Speaking earlier today from the boat, Irishman Derek Graham said that he was glad that Irish governement was calling for safe passage for the ship, and that "if this aid is not delivered, then Monday's deaths will have been in vain". He went on to say that if Israeli forces attempted to board the ship, all 15 passengers would sit with their arms in the air so that they would not be attacked. He also called for an end to the illegal three-year-old Israeli siege of Gaza.