The calls come 20 years after the Good Friday Peace Agreement that finalized peace talks on the status of Northern Ireland within the United Kingdom, ending decades of sectarian conflict.
"Almost twenty years after the Good Friday Agreement, certain groups of Irish citizens — namely ex-political prisoners and their families — are still experiencing discrimination," Martina Anderson said.
Representatives from Coiste na nlarchimim, the body that speaks on behalf of former IRA prisoners, presented to the Commissioner for European Human Rights and officials from the Office of the Execution of Judgements "a short analysis of the current situation, explaining the inequalities and requesting advocacy."
"Despite the UN outlining that their process of disarmament, demobilization and reintegration must be integrated into the entire peace process of post-conflict societies, this was never carried out in Ireland," Anderson added.
Anderson, a former convicted IRA bomber, stressed that former political prisoners are entitled to be treated with respect as full and equal members of society, "and the progressive steps made during the meetings with EU representatives are further steps into ending this discrimination."
The 1968-1998 Anglo-Irish conflict, dubbed The Troubles, killed more than 3,500 victims and left a further 47,500 people injured in what was one of the bloodiest counter-insurgencies fought in Europe since the end of World War Two.
In July 2005, IRA announced it had "stood down" and was fully committed to exclusively peaceful objectives.
