News Letter
28 March 2009

POLICE are investigating complaints from a victims’ group accusing Republican Sinn Fein of incitement to terrorism, after it declared the dissident killings of a police officer and two soldiers were an “act of war” and not murder.

Families Acting for Innocent Relatives (FAIR) said it lodged the objection with the PSNI because it believes the intent, nature, context and content of the statements amount to an encouragement to terrorism.

FAIR spokesman Willie Frazer said: “They constitute an offence under previous legislation by directly inciting people to commit specific terrorist acts.

“We also believe that they are illegal under the recent Terrorism Acts which empower the police to deal with those who incite terrorism more obliquely, but who nevertheless contribute to creating a climate in which impressionable people might believe that terrorism was acceptable.”

A PSNI spokeswoman said: “Police can confirm that a complaint has been received and is being looked at.”

At a news conference on Thursday, Republican Sinn Fein spokesman Richard Walsh said: “I don’t accept the use of the term murder. They are acts of war.

“We have always upheld the right of the Irish people to use any level of controlled and disciplined force to drive the British out of Ireland. We make no apology for that.

“It’s regrettable that loss of life occurs, but sadly an inevitable fact.”

Mr Frazer hit out at the statements, saying: “The law criminalises those who make statements which they believe, or have reasonable grounds for believing are likely to be understood by their audience as an inducement to commit terrorist acts.

“The law extends the provisions to those who disseminate terrorist material, including on the internet, but makes it clear that those who simply transmit material which does not reflect their views will not be caught.

“The encouragement offence also includes glorification, which is now only an offence if the person who glorifies terrorism believes, or has reasonable grounds to believe, that the remarks will be understood as an incitement to carry out terrorist acts.”