THE IRISH Government has announced that it is to reopen a case against Britain with the European Commission of Human Rights.
New evidence has prompted the action.
The controversial ‘Hooded Men’ issue first came to light in the 1970s, at the height of the Troubles in the North of Ireland.
In 1971, 14 Catholic men were detained in the North of Ireland where they were held indefinitely and not offered a trial.
The men later claimed to have been subjected to so-called “Five Techniques” of torture during their detainment. The torture methods involved hooding, wall-standing, subjection to noise, sleep deprivation and deprivation of food and drink.
The Irish Government took a case against Britain to the European Court of Human Rights – the first interstate case the court heard in its history up to that point.
An RTÉ documentary earlier this year brought new evidence to light after documents were uncovered in the national archives in London by the human rights group, the Pat Finucane Centre.
These revelations have cast a shadow of doubt over the original ruling of the European Court of Human Rights, which was in favour of Britain.
Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Charlie Flanagan TD, said the decision has come after a review of “thousands” of recently released documents in the course of the documentary’s investigation, which allege that British authorities purposely misled the European Commission on Human Rights at the time.
“The British and Irish Governments have both worked hard to build stronger more trusting relations in recent years and I believe that this relationship will now stand to us as we work through the serious matters raised by these cases which have come to light in recent months,” said Minister Flanagan.
