Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Thursday, 26 January 2017

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence

Killing of Mr. Michael Dwyer in Bolivia: Discussion

9:30 am

Photo of Maureen O'SullivanMaureen O'Sullivan (Dublin Central, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I apologise that I missed the presentation but we did meet the previous time the witnesses were here. I read the transcript of Ms Dwyer's presentation as I received it last night. I admire and acknowledge her persistence. She has never given up on getting justice for her son over all these years. She and her family have been doing incredible work. It must have been most frustrating to meet with the officials and be told the meetings with the witnesses were cancelled. Is there any possibility of the meetings being rescheduled?

Deputy Seán Crowe asked about the Inter-American Court of Human Rights. Ms Dwyer also mentioned meeting the UN special rapporteur on extra-judicial killings. Has she any hope that this might lead to justice or a way to progress the case? I also wonder about other regional bodies in Latin America. Bolivia has good relationships with a number of other Latin American countries, such as Cuba. Some of us engage with the Cuban Embassy and ambassador. I wonder if we could do something through his good offices. Something similar worked in another part of the world for me another time. Where can Ms Dwyer bring the evidence she received from the chief prosecutor when she met him? Can she make any progress on it?

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