The European Human Rights Commission has been called on to investigate Britain’s record on human rights in Ireland.
The call comes from Sinn Fein MEP following the screening last night of the RTE documentary, “The Torture Files,” which claimed the British Government approved the torture of republican prisoners.
The programme also broadcast allegations that the British Government covered up the torture – believed to have taken place at the now closed British army base in Ballykelly in Co Derry – in a bid to avoid being branded as one of the states involved in the illegal practice.
In March last, Ms Anderson, along with justice campaigners Niall Murphy of Relatives for Justice and Paul O’Connor of the Derry-based Pat Finucane Centre, met with senior officials from the Council of Europe’s Human Rights Commission in Strasbourg to discuss state killings and torture in Ireland.
Sinn Fein MEP Martina Anderson.
The delegation also raised new evidence that the British Government had “lied” to the European Court of Human Rights on the torture of 14 people – known as ‘The Hooded Men” – following the introduction of internment in 1971.
Speaking following the screening of last night’s programme, Ms Anderson said on her return to Europe she intended to contact the Human Rights Commissioner “to enquire as to what course of actions his consideration of our presentation would suggest.”
Ms Anderson concluded: “It is now clear that the British Government lied to the European Court in this case and I am calling on the Human Rights Commissioner to investigate Britain’s Human Rights record in Ireland.”
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