Maguire's Deportation Appeal Denied

Tuesday October 05, 2010 17:35 by Saed Bannoura - IMEMC & Agencies

An appeal filed by Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, Mairead Maguire, was denied by the Israeli Supreme Court as its justices decided that the 10-year deportation order against her is valid, and that she entered the country knowing there was an outstanding deportation order against her.

Mairea Maguire - Image; The Peace People

She was detained by Israel after she entered the country several days ago. The court justices said that Maguire “violated the law and took it in her hands”, and that they cannot overrule the decision to prevent her from entering the country for 10 years.

Israel detained and decided to deport Maguire for participating in the Freedom Flotilla that was attacked by the army, in May this year, while attempting to reach the Gaza Strip to challenge the Israeli siege to deliver humanitarian supplies.

The judges said that the initial ruling issued against her by the District Court had no flaws, and that she was aware of the deportation order, and that she should have returned to Ireland to file an appeal to the Israeli Ministry of Interior to challenge the deportation order.

They added that “she instead decided to ignore the initial ban against her, and to take the law in her hands”.

They also said that, due to the political consequences of this case, the Interior Ministry can use its own judgment to allow her entry into the country if it wills.

But the judges also stated that Israel should have taken their proposal into consideration by allowing Maguire to stay in the country for 48 hours following her release on bail, and should have obliged her to leave after the two allotted days.

Yet, they said that they cannot allow her to remain in the country as “she entered Israel knowing that there was an outstanding deportation order against her."

The judges also denied a claim filed by Maguire in which she said that her basic rights were violated.

She can still challenge the latest ruling against her by filing an official appeal to the court, Israeli sources stated.

israel | human rights | news report saed at imemc dot org