Republican News · Thursday 31 January 2002

MacCionnaith arrested in Bethlehem

Israeli troops arrested Garvaghy Road spokesperson Breandán MacCionnaith during a visit to Bethlehem at the weekend. He was there at the invitation of a Palestinian human rights organisation visiting the families of a group of Palestine children who are to visit Portadown during the summer. Last year, Palestinians spent time in Garvaghy Road.

MacCionaith's passport was confiscated and he was brought to a military base along with two Palestinians who were with him.

It is thought that e-mails about the current situation in Palestine sent by MacCionnaith were intercepted by Israeli forces, resulting in his arrest.

MacCionnaith was able to phone his solicitor back home in the Six Counties who informed the Irish government. He was later released after the Irish Embassy intervened.

MacCionnaith had been stopped and detained on his outward journey at Heathrow by British Special Branch officers, who questioned him for about half an hour and confiscated his documents (apparently, to photocopy them) before letting him go. They showed an uncharacteristic lack of interest in where he was staying in London, but rather wanted names, addresses, telephone numbers, etc of everybody he was intending to speak to whilst in Palestine.