THE preliminary hearing of the International Tribunal on the British Presence in Ireland was held in Paris last weekend.
Three judges presided at the hearing Judge (France), Ron Knowles, editor Journalist (England), and Phil Flynn, deputy general secretary of the Irish Government and Public Services Union (Ireland).
was a prima facie case for an investigation of the British presence in Ireland and they sanctioned the convening of a full-scale tribunal hearing in the summer.
The judges heard evidence alleging infringements human rights in the North of Witnesses presented evidence regarding repression in Ireland, including personal testimony of interroSocialist Challenge T February 1979 pagé 12 gation procedures and statements from prisoners smuggled out on toilet paper.
was Father Faul, a catholic priest from Dungannon, Tyrone. Faul has investigated Bloch many cases ill-treatment of prisoners. gave a graphic conditions in Long Kesh where Local over 350 prisoners are currently 'on the blanket".
The judges' verdict stressed, They concluded that there it was no part of our function investigation of British presented to us showed that the British government has been take place' guilty of breaches of human But Bloch, Knowles Flynn did state:
of We have no hesitation in saying that presence Britain in Ireland raises serious and disturbing questions. regard it as fundamental to the whole question of manner Northern Ireland statelet came Among those giving evidence into being and the manner in which it has been maintained and also through consideration whether in fact it systematic can be maintained He resort to breaches of human account of rights charters.' The judges concluded: •We therefore find that the Tribunal has sufficient case for a thorough The judges verdict revealed rightsor to examine the causes. that they heard 'detailed expert and evidence on:
* the history of Britain in of the partition settlement; * 'the nature of the six county statelet of Northern Britain's and the inherent discrimination pres manner land to examine that exists there*;
Unionist detailed to equal rights; without conflict;
status for made out the pre- introduced remand to internment';
and psychological Ireland by the security forces including * the background to the civil rights movement of the • late 1960s and the reaction of the majority to the peaceful registration of a claim legislation, * 'the re-emergence of armed Special * the withdrawal of political those 'convicted Act under the special laws and special courts in Northern * the use of long periods of 'effect a form of * the nature and consequence of British economic policies in * "the effect on women and children of systematic physical oratanty, intimidation and harassment evidence of extensive sexual brutality and intimidation'.
The judges also looked at allegations of censorship and *manipulation of the media by the security services", as well as various examples of repressive including Powers Act, the Emergency Provisions Act and in London, the original venue the Prevention of Terrorism The judges expressed the hope that 'as many people and organisations as possible will submit evidence to the full tribunal. They added *it would be done, especially as regards be of considerable help to the judges and the jury that the British government should be represented at the hearing'.
The full hearing is planned for the summer and the judges directed it to be held before la panel of international judges and a jury drawn from the British Labour Movement' in a statement on the hearing _attend. the Tribunal organisers ask that "necessary assurances regarding the protection of witnesses from harassment and detention the ever increasing misuse of the Prevention of Terrorism Act will be given by the the British government so as to enable this hearing to be heard for the prima facie hearing.' The Tribunal organisers can now go ahead with building support, and assembling judges and a jury for the full hearing. But a lot of work still needs to collecting evidence The Tribunal Planning Committee continues to neec all the help it can get. Its nex meeting Is on Tuesday February at the St Clements Building of the London School of Economics. It begins 7.30pm and all who want to help the Tribunal should try to
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to decide whether the evidence sence in Ireland and consider it essential that a full hearing...