Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 13 June 2013
51. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the political representation he has made in the case of a person (details supplied) in relation to possible repatriation here; if he has highlighted issues of mistreatment and instances of inhuman, degrading treatment of prisoners; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28405/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraI can inform the Deputy that the Embassy of Ireland in Lithuania and the Consular Assistance Section in Dublin has provided consular assistance to the person in question since that person’s initial detention in Lithuania. The Embassy is in regular contact with the appropriate Lithuanian authorities in response to questions or matters which have arisen during the period of imprisonment. The person and his next of kin are kept informed of the Embassy’s representations to the Lithuanian authorities on various matters, and the outcomes of these representations.
In 2009 our Embassy forwarded a diplomatic note to the Lithuanian Foreign Ministry in which it voiced its concern at the poor conditions at the prison where the person mentioned by the Deputy was being held. The person in question has since been moved to another more modern prison. The person mentioned by the Deputy has been visited in prison on a number of occasions by a Diplomatic Officer from our Embassy in Vilnius. The most recent visit was on 3 June 2013. The person mentioned did not raise with the Embassy any issues of mistreatment or instances of inhuman or degrading treatment. The transfer of prisoners between Lithuania and Ireland takes place under the Council of Europe’s Convention on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons which sets out certain conditions which must be met in order for a transfer to take place, including that the judgment must be final. I understand that the person mentioned by the Deputy is appealing his sentence and therefore is ineligible to apply for a transfer under these provisions until this process is complete.
The Deputy may wish to note that an application for an international prisoner transfer is made in the first instance through the prison authorities in Lithuania. It is then passed to their Justice Ministry which liaises on the issue with the Prison Policy section in the Department of Justice and Equality here in Ireland.
