§ 28. Mr. Zilliacusasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies why Jewish detainees have been deported from Palestine to Eritrea on suspicion and with no charge preferred; whether he is aware that, when in one such case a request for habeas corpus was made in Palestine, the law officers pleaded that the detainee had been interned in Eritrea by the Eritrean authorities; that the Eritrean internment order was issued after the petition for habeas corpus in Palestine; that the sequel was a prison revolt resulting in two deaths and 10 casualties among unarmed Jewish internees; and whether he will give an assurance that Palestine citizens will not in future be interned in Eritrea without charge preferred.
Mr. Creech JonesThese persons were deported from Palestine by order of the High Commissioner for Palestine under the Palestine Defence (Emergency) Regulations, made by the High Commissioner under the Palestine (Defence) Order in Council, 1937, the Order being in his view necessary for securing the public safety and the maintenance of public order. As regards the second and third parts of the Question, this case is at presentsub judice and forms the subject of a 361W petition to the Privy Council. As regards the fourth part of the Question, I would invite my hon. Friend's attention to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Financial Secretary of the War Office to a Question by my hon. Friend the Member for West Leicester (Mr. Janner) on 4th March As regards the last part of the Question, in view of the present situation in Palestine, no such assurance can be given.