UN experts welcome effective cooperation of Ireland and Turkey in safe return of Irish nationals

GENEVA (30 January 2020) – UN human rights experts* have commended Ireland and Turkey for their cooperative and effective engagement ensuring the return of Lisa Smith and her infant child to Ireland last December.

Ms. Smith, an Irish national, had been held in the Ain Issa displacement camp in northeast Syria. She had traveled to Syria several years earlier and was married to an individual associated with a UN-listed terrorist group.

"The close cooperation between Ireland and Turkey has led to her safe return and both States fulfilled their obligations to ensure the full protection of Ms. Smith and her daughter's human rights," the independent experts said.

They commended the prompt engagement of both Governments with the Special Procedures mandates and their ongoing communication concerning the protection of Ms. Smith and her daughter. 

Given the particular health and security risks faced by the infant child in these circumstances, the experts also commended the emphasis placed on her speedy return to mitigate those concerns. They also welcomed the deployment of an Emergency Civilian Assistance Team to Turkey by Ireland to support the Irish consular team in Ankara.

"Other States should take notice and deploy this intensive and specialized inter-agency model to ensure the safe and human rights compliant return of their own nationals from Syria and Iraq," they said.

Acknowledging the broader context of ongoing insecurity and human rights' infringements for women and child returnees, the independent experts encouraged States to work as effectively, intensively and cooperatively as in this case, to ensure the full enforcement of applicable human rights and humanitarian norms. They also encouraged States to recognize that women and children associated with ISIS may have been subjected to serious human rights violations and gender-based violence during and prior to their detention in camps such as Ain Issa.

ENDS

*The UN experts: Ms. Fionnuala Ní Aoláin, Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism; Ms. Agnes Callamard, Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, Mr. Nils Melzer, Special Rapporteur on Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, Ms. Dubravka Šimonović, Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences, Ms. Meskerem Geset Techane, Chair of the Working Group on discrimination against women and girls, Members of the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances - Mr. Luciano Hazan (Chair), Mr. Tae-Ung Baik (Vice Chair), Mr. Bernard Duhaime, Ms. Houria Es-Slami, and Mr. Henrikas Mickevičius; and Members of the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention - Mr. José Antonio Guevara Bermúdez (Chair), Ms. Leigh Toomey (Vice-Chair on Communications), Ms. Elina Steinerte (Vice-Chair on Follow-up), Mr. Seong-Phil Hong and Mr. Sètondji Adjovi.

The Special Rapporteurs are part of what is known as the Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council. Special Procedures, the largest body of independent experts in the UN Human Rights system, is the general name of the Council's independent fact-finding and monitoring mechanisms that address either specific country situations or thematic issues in all parts of the world. Special Procedures experts work on a voluntary basis; they are not UN staff and do not receive a salary for their work. They are independent from any government or organization and serve in their individual capacity.

For more information about Ms. Smith's case: the UN experts issued the following press release on 20 November 2019.

For further inquiries and media requests please contact: Ms. Michelle Erazo Martinez (+41 22 917 9449 / merazo@ohchr.org)

For media inquiries related to other UN independent experts: The Media Unit (+ 41 22 928 9855 / mediaconsultant2@ohchr.org)

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