Adams urges Taoiseach to act quickly on ‘Hooded Men’ case

Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams TD has called on the Government to make a decision quickly on reopening a long-standing case involving alleged human rights violations.

Mr Adams has written to Taoiseach Enda Kenny reminding him that there are only six days until the December 4th deadline to apply for reopening the case of the 'Hooded Men' with the European Court of Human Rights.

The case relates to 14 men with republican connections who were arrested after internment was introduced in 1971 and were subjected to hooded and prolonged interrogation.

The European Commission on Human Rights ruled in 1977 that this was torture but the European Court of Human Rights overruled that decision and said the men had not been tortured but had been subjected to degrading treatment.

‘British lies’

In the letter, Mr Adams contends the ECHR judgment in 1978 should be appealed because of what he described as “British lies” about its use of such techniques.

“There is a grave onus on the Office of the Attorney General and the Government to conclude its deliberations and seek a reopening of this case,” Mr Adams writes.

Earlier this year, Attorney General Máire Whelan said the case did not meet “the threshold which would warrant this State bringing an application to reopen the case”.

Mr Adams says a major investigation by RTÉ's Prime Time some time later revealed that the British government lied to the ECHR about the use of the so-called five techniques for in-depth interrogation and lied to the ECHR on the severity of the interrogation methods.

Use of torture

“It is clear from all of the documentation now available that the use of torture against these 14 men was a matter of administrative practice by the British government,” Mr Adams writes. “Time is quickly running out . . . When do you expect that the Government will conclude its deliberations and take its decision?”

A Government spokesman said the Taoiseach had not yet received any letter and would not be making any response at this time.