Seán Walsh extradited

Seán Walsh has become the latest victim of the Dublin government’s extradition policy, after having fought his case for four years from Portlaoise prison.

Mr Walsh was extradited on Tuesday and brought across the border to Newry, where he was handed over to the PSNI. The father-of-one appeared in Omagh Magistrates Court without the support of a legal team and was subsequently remanded in custody pending a bail application.

From Cork, Mr Walsh is one of a group of republicans who have been challenging allegations made against them following a so-called MI5 ‘sting’ operation involving informer Dennis McFadden.

His delivery into the MI5-controlled Maghaberry prison, after four years held under restrictive conditions, has been condemned by a number of republican organisations.

Mr Walsh, a painter-decorator by trade, has described himself as a political activist from Cork city who is facing a sentence of life imprisonment with no chance of a fair trial.

“I am 57 years old and, if convicted, would most likely die in prison,“ he wrote in a campaign note.

“This is because I am seen as a non-conformist Republican who believes in the right of his country to self-determination, free from British rule and a 32 County socialist Republic, as set out in the 1916 proclamation.”

He added: “There is a media blackout on my case as the Irish government do not want people to know of their secretive dealings with the shadowy MI5 and their cohorts. It is me today, it could be you or a member of your own family tomorrow.”

The Irish Republican Prisoners Welfare Association said Mr Walsh had “waged a determined and principled fight” against extradition, pursuing every legal avenue available to him through both the 26 County judicial system and the European courts.

“Despite this exhaustive legal campaign, the Free State authorities have shamefully acquiesced to British demands, facilitating the transfer of an Irish citizen into an occupied jurisdiction where political prisoners continue to suffer under a regime of isolation, criminalisation, and psychological abuse,” they said.

“This extradition represents not only a gross violation of Sean’s human rights and political status, but a stark reminder of the ongoing collaboration between the Free State government and British intelligence agencies in the repression of Irish Republicanism. The decision to send an Irish Republican into a gaol effectively run by MI5 must be seen for what it is - a politically motivated act of state repression.

“The IRPWA is gravely concerned for Sean’s safety and well-being, particularly given the well-documented abuses and control tactics used against Republican Prisoners in Maghaberry. The systematic use of strip-searching, controlled movement, and denial of political status in Maghaberry has drawn repeated condemnation from international human rights observers.

“We reiterate our full solidarity with Seán Walsh and his family during this difficult time. The IRPWA will continue to support Seán and all Republican Prisoners held in British and Free State gaols.”

In their statement, they called for an immediate end to the extradition of Irish republicans, the recognition of political status and a “unified” campaign across Ireland and internationally to resist political extraditions and the criminalisation of republicanism.

“Seán Walsh is not a criminal, he is a Republican activist targeted for his beliefs and resistance. His extradition must galvanise all those who believe in justice, sovereignty, and human rights,” they said. “End the criminalisation. End the collaboration. End the extraditions.”

Éire Nua described the extradition as “a shameful collaboration with British intelligence” and a “grievous affront to Irish sovereignty, civil liberties, and the inalienable right of political dissent.

It paid tribute to his “principled” resistance to the transfer of an Irish citizen into an occupied territory and condemned the “silence” from Sinn Féin.

“Maghaberry Gaol, operating under the influence of MI5 and the British security establishment, has been repeatedly condemned by human rights organisations for its abusive and degrading treatment of Republican prisoners.

“Seán Walsh now faces an environment characterised by forced strip-searching, controlled movement, denial of political status, and psychological warfare tactics long associated with Britain’s broader policy of counter-insurgency in Ireland.

“This extradition should not be viewed in isolation. It is part of a broader pattern of political repression, enabled by a Free State government that has abandoned any pretence of neutrality and has instead aligned itself with Westminster’s objectives. By surrendering Irish citizens to a foreign, occupying power, the Free State demonstrates that its interests lie not with the Irish people, but with the perpetuation of partition and the silencing of resistance.”

It added: “Seán Walsh’s extradition is a betrayal of every principle of national sovereignty and justice. It is a test of conscience for all who claim to stand for Irish freedom. Silence is complicity.”

Urgent Appeal