THE GARDA Ombudsman is to investigate a complaint by environmental group Tarawatch about the detention and repatriation of an American human rights lawyer.
Matt Schwoebel (27), lawyer and programme director of 2048 Project, a human rights project at Berkeley Law School at the University of California, arrived in Dublin on November 23rd.
Mr Schwoebel had been invited to Ireland by Tarawatch to take statements from protesters who had objected to the construction of the M3 motorway close to the Hill of Tara. He was to advise the group on its appeal to the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights on the treatment of the objectors.
He had also intended to investigate the Garda’s role in monitoring the actions of Tara campaigners. He was stopped by the Garda National Immigration Bureau and questioned about his trip and then told he could not enter the State. The reason given was he had insufficient funds.
Mr Schwoebel said he gave gardaí the website of the Tarawatch campaign so they could contact spokesman Vincent Salafia to validate he was staying with him.
He also said he had $100 in cash with him and a Visa card with several thousand dollars in his account.
“I offered to take out $1,000 before I left the airport,” he said.
He described his dealings with gardaí as hostile from the beginning and said he believed gardaí did not attempt to contact Mr Salafia to verify his story.
He was then put on a flight back to San Francisco.
Mr Salafia made an official complaint about the incident on behalf of Mr Schwoebel to the Garda Ombudsman.
In a letter seen by The Irish Times, the Ombudsman's office said it was appropriate to refer the complaint to the Garda Commissioner.
“The Ombudsman has decided the complaint should be investigated by a Garda investigating officer supervised by the Garda Ombudsman,” the letter said.
Mr Salafia said he believed Mr Schwoebel had sufficient funds to support himself in Ireland and was denied entry because of his intention to carry out legal work for Tarawatch.
He said he hoped the matter would be resolved as quickly as possible so that Mr Schwoebel could return to Ireland to carry out his work.
