The government is to apply to the European Court of Human Rights to revisit a torture claim against the British authorities.
In 1978, the Strasbourg court ruled that 14 men interned in Northern Ireland were subjected to inhuman and degrading treatment – but not torture.
In the 1970s 14 men were interned in Northern Ireland and subjected to interrogation techniques such as hooding, white noise and sensory deprivation.
The European Court of Human Rights ruled in 1978 that what they underwent did not amount to torture.
But the survivors say new evidence has come to light that shows the British misled the court.
Today the Irish Government has decided it will apply to the European Court to revisit its original ruling.
The survivors had brought legal proceedings to compel the government to make this landmark decision..but they’ve now been struck out as unnecessary.
One of the so called ‘hooded men’ is Liam Shannon:
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