Show Trial Collapses

by Ailin Thu May 08, 2003 17:40

Ruairí Ó Brádaigh, President, Republican Sinn Féin,
May 8, 2003
"The decision today (Thursday May 8) of the non - jury 'Special Criminal Court' to convict one of the seven members of Republican Sinn Féin, whilst acquitting the other six on charges of IRA membership, brought under the draconian 'Offences Against the State Act' and based solely on the uncorroborated 'opinion' of a 26 County Police Chief Superintendent, is a travesty of justice.

Despite having rejected the case brought against these men it was still intent on extracting it pound of flesh, by convicting one of the men on the basis of evidence which was clearly discredited, simply because of their political views. This judgement is a gross violation of the right to receive and communicate political ideas as set out in the 'Universal Declaration of Human Rights'

"This three month political show - trial is the product of an on - going campaign of harassment, smear and 'felon setting' directed against members of Republican Sinn Féin by the Dublin Government and their 'Political Police', with the purpose of retarding the growth and development of Republican Sinn Féin. Both the British and Dublin Governments have stated publicly that it is their intention to crush all those opposed to the 'Stormont Agreement' and who refuse to be absorbed into the apparatus of British Rule in Ireland."

"Our members and supporters will not be intimidated by this campaign of coercion but will continue to organize and recruit throughout Ireland, putting forward the unashamedly Irish Republican agenda of ending British Rule, and creating a New Ireland negotiated by the Irish people themselves."

by DieHard Democrat Thu May 08, 2003 18:03

The majority of people in Northern Ireland are Unionist and wish to remain part of the UNited Kingdom. The vasy majority of the people of Ireland voted in 1998 for the Good Firday Agreement which recognised this fact and that Nothern Irleand will only become part of a united 32 county Republic until the majority give their consent. Not Before that!
You thugs think that you can use violence and plot violence against the entire Irish People and force us to accept you fanaticism? Not only do you want to inflict a Civil War but you want to impose a Hard Left Communist system!
To hell with you!
There is only one authority in the Irish State and that is Dail Eirinn. There is only one police force and that is An Garda Shiochana. The is only one army and that is the The Irish Army. There is only one freedom and that is our freedom and you will not take it from us.
My forebearers fought for the liberty which we enjoy! I and men like me will fight to protect it from Fanatical cunts like You! FUCK OFF AND DIE!

by Ailin Thu May 08, 2003 18:37

You will fight and die for something you cannot even spell? Did you steal your "There is only one freedom and that is our freedom and you will not take it from us" from George Bush as it sounds like something he would say. You are a very brave man behind your computer screen but I would imagine that you would not be so brave in person. How exactly are you going to fight?

by . Thu May 08, 2003 19:25

go bact to the beginning do not collect $$$$
are u actually from any part of th 32 contys

by Johnner Thu May 08, 2003 19:31

I am weary of Democrats who think people should be jailed on the grounds that a Garda "knows" they are involved in a paramilitary organisation.

Most of these Democrats are in the Democratic Unionist Party or should live in the Peoples Democratic Republic of Korea. Why doesn't the above Democrat fuck off to the DPRK? I'm sure they will give you a suitable job in their police force. BTW bring your pal Ian Kyle with you.

by limerick1919 Thu May 08, 2003 22:01 limerick1919 at hotmail dot com

Considering the implications of this judgement and other activities by the gardai in arresting paper sellers for example previously featured on this site- doesn't this warrant a front page

3 million of tax payers money.- joke

by Ailin Thu May 08, 2003 22:43

IN a further attempt to suffocate the voice of Republican Sinn Féin, Limerick court handed down a hefty fine on 25-year-old SAOIRSE seller Timmy King, on April 18 last.

Timmy and three other SAOIRSE sellers had been on duty at the corner of O'Connell Street and Thomas Street on December 14, 2002 when they were accosted by Garda Couglan accompanied by Detectives Dan Hough and Senan O'Sullivan. Timmy King told the court he had been standing outside the chemist, where he sold SAOIRSE every Saturday, when he was approached by the police. "Detective O'Sullivan asked for my licence. They then asked for my papers. I refused to give them and they took me by the arm into the car." From there he was taken to Henry Street barracks.

Earlier Garda Coughlan had told the court that a member of the public had complained to her that the SAOIRSE paper seller had been causing an obstruction outside Ferguson's Chemists, she approached the four men and asked them to move on. "I made them aware of the offence under the Public Order Act of obstruction. Three of the men complied with the request" she said but Timmy King refused to move and was charged under Section 24 of the Act.

However cross-examined by defence counsel, John Devane, Garda Couglan admitted she did not take a statement from the alleged complainant. Despite this, Judge O'Donnell said he was satisfied that a member of the public had made a complaint to Garda Coughlan and promptly fined Timmy King €150 for causing an obstruction. Once again the uncorroborated statement of a member of the 26-County police is accepted in a clampdown on Republican Sinn Féin.

by Barney Fri May 09, 2003 13:59

I don't know the lingo....

by Hebe Fri May 09, 2003 14:41

Hardly grounds for calling someone a tout, just because they are good at beating the rap. I remember when the gardai used to spend a lot of time sending down SF activists.

I can think of some members of the non-constitutional wing of the RM who have had numerous escapes because:

1. They keep their mouths shut.
2. They dont leave forensics.
3. tHey scare the shit out of informers.
(Above 3 points totally allegedly of course.)

If you have any other grounds for suspecting Joe, please share them.

by Janus Fri May 09, 2003 14:58

That post actually wasn't me and I would appreciate if it was deleted.

I have no idea who this guy is beyond seeing his name in the papers or whether this is indeed the fourth time he has 'beaten the rap'. I also rarely, if ever, use the word jurisprudence or thrice for that matter.

by Ailin Fri May 09, 2003 17:13

Statement Issued By Des Long, Joe Lynch, Ger Bromell, Christy Dunne (Limerick) Paddy Kenneally,(Clare) Bobby MacNamara, (Tipperary) and Matt Conway (Kildare) In Dublin's Special Non-Jury Court.

May 8, 2003

The decision by the court today is a confirmation that from the start there was no case to answer. However the State had to convict someone and at this time our thoughts are with Pat O'Shea and his family. As we walk free many disturbing questions in relation to the conduct of the police remain to be answered. This aspect of their behaviour however is a matter for another forum and another day.

The false charges were brought simply to prevent the political development of a recognised political organisation, Republican Sinn Féin. The fact that armed police could smash down a door to a meeting and fire shots at innocent people going about their normal business must be condemned by all reasonable and right thinking people.

The action by the police was simply an attempt by the State to destroy a growing organisation. There can be no excuse or justification for the orgy of negative and untrue coverage generated by the police against people exercising their Constitutional rights to free association.

The downright lies and distortions inspired by the police and repeated by a supine, slavish and cowardly media can only be described as the age old distasteful practice of felon setting. The people of Ireland however are at last beginning to question the tactics of the police - we have seen courageous individual judges stand up against distortion, fabrication, and tampering of so called evidence by the police - yet no matter what the judges say, those who control the police continue to insist that there is no need for an Independent Investigating Commission - we and all others who have been victims of police lies, distortion and media spin-doctoring, say otherwise - there is now an urgent and compelling need for an independent authority to oversee the activities of the political police.

We wish to thank all those who supported us, those who stood by us in the face of lies, distortions and untruths peddled by the police - today we wish to thank them publicly - and of course a special thank you to our families and the true and faithful Republicans who support our organisation. We cannot let the occasion pass without paying a public tribute to our solicitors John Devane and Michael Farrell and our barristers and their legal teams who ensured that justice was done!

Finally we in Republican Sinn Féin offer no apology for being Republicans in the tradition of Tone, Davis, Pearse, Connolly, Mellowes, Sean South, Bobby Sands, and all those who died in the cause of Irish Freedom.

We shall not be intimidated from organising; we shall not be intimidated from saying that the root cause of conflict in our country is the British presence - there can be no real or lasting peace until the British declare their intent to withdraw from Ireland.

'Pat O'Shea, Victim of A Campaign of State Harassment'

Statement by the President of Republican Sinn Fein, Ruairi O Bradaigh May 9, 2003

"Pat O'Shea who today (Friday May 9) was sentenced to four years by the non - jury 'Special Criminal Court', is the victim of an on-going campaign of state harassment directed against Republican Sinn Fein, a campaign aimed at criminalizing anyone who rejects the 'Stormont Agreement' and opposes British Rule in Ireland. He is in effect the 'sacrificial lamb' in a case which was politically motivated and driven and which has cost the tax payer millions of euro."

"Such State sponsored harassment will not divert Republican Sinn Fein from carrying out its normal political activities, such as contesting next year's local elections and promoting EIRE NUA, our proposals for a federal Ireland, the only sane and credible alternative to the failed and sectarian 'Stormont Agreement'."

by Josef Fri May 09, 2003 17:54

Hmmm. I think you protest too much. :-)

I think you all secretly realise you became strangers to reason many years ago and this unusual phrase is a subconscious recognition of that fact.

You know the old saying about thinking everyone else is crazy????