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Allison Millar, ICTU Vice President, who represented the ICTU at the solidarity gathering outside the Courts of Justice in Belfast, along with fellow NIPSA members, is pictured with, from left: Gerry Carson, Cathaoirleach,


IEC, Trevor Birney, Séamus Dooley, Irish Secretary, and Barry McCaffrey. Photo: @Kevin Cooper, Photoline. Arrest of journalists causes outrage


The arrest of Barry McCaffrey and Trevor Birney following raids on their homes last month in a joint Durham Constabulary/PSNI operation has outraged NUJ members and human rights activists. The journalists are currently on bail, having been questioned in connection with the alleged theft of documents.


A huge number of PSNI officers also swooped on the Belfast city centre offices of Fine Point Films, makers of the documentary “No Stone Unturned”, and spent 13 hours rifling through cupboards, confiscating a mountain of material and equipment. Much of the material removed is unrelated to the documentary into the Loughinisland massacre. Officers from Durham Constabulary and the PSNI detained Trevor Birney and Barry McCaffrey in Belfast over the use of material allegedly stolen from the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland (PONI). PONI officers reported the alleged theft to the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI), which then asked Durham police to conduct an independent investigation, but the PSNI took the lead role in questioning the journalists and heavily outnumbered the outside force in the raids. Séamus Dooley, Irish Secretary, said there


were a number of disturbing aspects to the arrests. Among those were the involvement of the PSNI, the removal of material unrelated to


the documentary and the decision to remand two journalists on bail in the absence of any evidence of wrongdoing. “To hold two journalists whose crime is public


interest journalism for 14 hours without any evidence of wrongdoing is unacceptable. They could have been invited to the station for questioning,” he said. Séamus pointed out that the PSNI and the Ombudsman had the opportunity to meet the film-makers and view material in advance. “There were no surprises in the film, there is nothing they do not know already, and this is a fishing exercise,” he said. Documentary maker Alex Gibney said the


arrests were outrageous and that police should instead have reopened the investigation into the 1994 massacre at Loughinisland. He said the film had exposed the failure of police to properly investigate the murders. Fine Point Films have challenged the seizure


of equipment and sought a High Court order to protect confidential information. Members of the NUJ gathered outside the Courts of Justice in solidarity with the makers of the documentary 'No Stone Unturned'. Barry and Trevor were cheered when they arrived, accompanied by Séamus Dooley and Gerry Carson, IEC Cathaoirleach. Prior to the hearing, Séamus and Gerry met the journalists privately to assure them of continued trade union support and solidarity.


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