Irish lawyer quits European rights body over silence on Gaza
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Michael Farrell
Ireland’s long-standing representative on a Council of Europe human rights body has resigned over its failure to speak out on Gaza.
Human rights lawyer Michael Farrell has been a member of the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) for the past 14 years, and has served at various points as its vice-chair and as chair of its working group on LGBTI rights.
He told Irish Legal News he resigned from ECRI over the weekend because of its failure to call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, for UN agencies to be allowed to distribute food, medicine and other necessities, and for Hamas to release all remaining hostages.
Mr Farrell said he tried unsuccessfully to raise the situation in Gaza several times at ECRI meetings before he was finally able to propose a formal motion at the most recent plenary meeting at the beginning of July, where it was rejected as outside ECRI’s mandate.
He argues that ECRI, which monitors whether European states observe human rights standards, should be concerned because several major states are supplying Israel with weapons which it is using in its attacks on Gaza — and in other states, including Ireland, agencies have been trying to provide food and medical aid to families driven from their homes.
The plenary meeting also took place just weeks after the Council of Europe’s secretary general, Alain Berset, expressed concern about the attacks on Gaza.
Following ECRI’s refusal of his motion, Mr Farrell said he felt he could not continue to take part in criticising states for failing to observe domestic human rights if he could not comment on the “appalling attacks in Gaza which are made possible by weapons supplied by other Council of Europe states”.
Mr Farrell said: “I am sorry to have to leave ECRI, which has done good work, and there are many other members who are also deeply distressed at what is happening in Gaza but do not know what they can do to stop it.
“My resignation is a small action but Council of Europe member states need to act now to prevent the total devastation of Gaza — and the West Bank as well.”
ECRI and Ireland’s Department of Children, Disability and Equality have been contacted for comment.
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