Irische Regierung verweigert Forschung

Ireland: Irish Government refuses access to Amnesty prison researchers



"Amnesty International is disappointed at the
Irish Government's refusal to allow researchers of a joint Amnesty
International and Irish Penal Reform Trust project to visit several named
Irish prisons to investigate the issue of racism in Irish detention
establishments", the human rights organization said today.

As part of its ongoing work as an international human rights
organization, Amnesty International monitors compliance with international
standards in prisons throughout the world.

Amnesty has, in the recent past, had access from high-security prisons
to detention centres in countries such as Afghanistan, Brazil, Nigeria,
Russia and the USA.

"The Irish authorities now have the dubious distinction of joining the
governments of Turkey and Egypt in denying Amnesty International
researchers access to their prisons."

In January Irene Khan wrote to the then Minister for Justice
requesting the cooperation and assistance of his Department to facilitate
the research project, undertaken jointly by Amnesty International and the
Irish Penal Reform Trust, on whether racism is an issue in prisons in
Ireland.

Having received no reply, the Secretary General wrote to the new
Minister, Michael McDowell, which was followed by another letter from the
Director of Amnesty International Ireland, Sean Love. The Minister of
Justice finally sent a written reply refusing Amnesty International's
request for access on the grounds that his Department was conducting its
own internal review on racism.

"But the 'review' is an internal review; one of many reviews on
efficiency and training which are part and parcel of the public service. It
is absolutely no substitute for an independent research mission", said
Amnesty International.

Even though Amnesty International understands a draft report has been
circulating internally for some time, details of the Department of
Justice's internal review are not available to the public. Two Freedom of
Information applications on its content made by Amnesty International have
been rejected by the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform. And
with the greatest respect to the National Training and Development
Institute, charged with the government's internal review, it is not a human
rights research body. Nor is its review independent, as its terms of
reference have been written by the Department, it is funded by the
Department, and its report will first be vetted by the Department before it
can come into the public arena.

"The project commissioned by the Irish authorities is not a substitute
for an independent, impartial and objective assessment of the issue of
racism within Irish prisons," said Irene Khan in a letter to Taoiseach
Bertie Ahern. "Furthermore, the project commissioned by the prison
authorities and our project are not mutually exclusive," she said.

The critical point here is denial of independent access. Amnesty
International has now been left wondering why the Irish authorities have
continued to deny access to its researchers.



For further information and interviews with the Secretary General contact:
Teresa Richardson Amnesty International, IS Press Office + 44 207
413 5554
Dick Oosting, Dirctor Amnesty International's EU Office + 32 2
548 2761
Seán Love, Director, Amnesty International Ireland + 353 1
677 6361
Ed Boyne, Irish Penal Reform Trust 086-3403932



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Nina Tesenfitz
Pressesprecherin
amnesty international
Sektion der Bundesrepublik Deutschland e.V.
LONDON 27 November 2002 --
amnesty international. Für die Menschenrechte.

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