Ireland failing on renditions - report

Ireland is failing to live up to its human rights obligations by accepting diplomatic assurances that flights used for "extraordinary rendition" are not passing through Irish airports, the Irish Human Rights Commission said today (IHRC).

Publishing a report today, Commissioner Suzanne Egan said assurances from the US authorities that aircraft landing in Ireland are not being used for the transport of detainees are not enough, and an inspection regime was needed.

Extraordinary rendition refers to CIA operations that remove terrorist suspects from one jurisdiction for questioning and detention in another.

The IHRC recommended the inspection regime as part of a package of measures, including making the provision of detailed information about each flight, its purpose and its passengers before they land on Irish soil a condition of entry to the State.

It also called for a Garda sub-station at Shannon Airport and, if necessary, legislation to ensure that any aircraft alleged to be involved in extraordinary rendition cannot leave the State before an inspection is carried out.

"'Extraordinary rendition is an illegal practice which results in torture, and to meet its human rights obligations, the Irish Government must put in place an effective inspection regime to ensure that no foreign aircraft suspected of involvement in the practice land or refuel in Ireland," said Des Hogan, director of enquiry and legal Services of the IHRC.

Reacting to the report, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Dermot Ahern, said no evidence had been produced that that anyone had been subject to extraordinary rendition through Ireland. He added that there was no new information or allegations in the report that would challenge that.

Mr Ahern said that gardaí had the power to carry out searches of civil aircraft when there was a suspicion that illegal activity was taking place, and had already carried out a number of investigations.

He claimed that no other European country had been asked to carry out an inspection regime such as that suggested by the IHRC.

"The IHRC and the Government differ on the significance to be attached to the assurances we have received from the US Government," said Mr Ahern.

"The US Government has given to the Taoiseach and to me and to our officials unqualified assurances . . . quite simply that no detainee has been or would be transferred through Irish territory as part of the US extraordinary rendition programme," the Minister said.

"There is no ambiguity nor is there any room for legal interpretation or debate about these assertions. If any evidence were to emerge that the assurances are not being complied with, we would deal immediately with the situation."

Labour Party president Michael D Higgins, welcomed the report's publication and called on the Government to to accept the report's findings.

Amnesty International said it supported the IHRC's call for an inspection regime to be introduced promptly.