Louth councillor's motion calls on Minister to act on Israeli use of administrative detention

Louth Sinn Féin councillor, Kevin Meenan, brought forward a motion to the Louth County Council April meeting, calling on the council executive to write to the Minister for Foreign Affairs, to ask him to "call on the Israeli Government to end the use of administrative detention and release all administrative detainees who are currently held without charge or trial". Cllr Meenan's motion also "calls on the Israeli Government to cease using the Incarceration of Unlawful Combatants Law and take action to repeal it."

I his submission to the local authority meeting, which was seconded by Cllr Pearse McGeough, Cllr Meenan stated that "Israel's use of administrative detention violates several international standards, such as illegally deporting Palentinians from the occupied territory to Israel, denying family visits and failing to take into account the best interests of child detainees as required under international law. Administrative detention is a procedure that allows the Israeli military to hold prisoners indefinitely on 'secret information' without charging themor allowing them to stand trial."

He continued, "Although international human rights law does allow some limited use of this practice in emergency situations, there are basic rules to be followed such as a fair hearing at which the detainee can challenge the reasons for detention or there must be a public emergency that threatens the life of the nation: Israel is in violation of these parameters."

Cllr Meenan said that due to this, he was therefore seeking the Minister to call upon the Israeli Government to act, and for the Israeli Government to cease using the law and take action to repeal it.