Government needs to ensure that no prisoners are being illegally transferred through Shannon
Sinn Féin National Chairperson and MEP for
Dublin Mary Lou McDonald today said ‘The Irish Government should
immediately set out procedures allowing inspections of all planes
suspected of being used in the illegal transfer of prisoners from Iraq to
detention camps.” Ms McDonald made her comments after the
Department of Transport confirmed that approximately 330,000 US troops
passed through the airport in 2005.
It
has also emerged that the Council of Europe has backed calls by the Irish
Human Rights Commission on the possible irregular transfer of US prisoners
via Irish airports.
Speaking today Ms
McDonald said:
"Year upon year the
numbers of troops passing through Shannon Airport are on the increase. The
latest figures show that some 900 troops are passing through the airport
every day. Serious questions must be asked of this government which has
shown itself to be compliant in undermining neutrality.
"The confirmation about increasing troop numbers through Shannon
comes at a time when the European Union is set to examine allegations that
the CIA had established detention camps in European countries to detain
and illegally transport prisoners. Such allegations must be investigated
thoroughly.
"A number of human
rights groups and a Swedish parliamentary investigation identified the
airport as potentially being involved in the transportation of prisoners
by the CIA to locations where they may be subjected to torture, inhumane
and degrading treatment.
”The Irish
Government should immediately set out procedures allowing inspections of
all planes suspected of being used in the transportation of prisoners from
an illegal war in Iraq.”ENDS