The long awaited release this week of the McCullough Review has exposed a long term culture of politically motivated surveillance of journalists, whistleblowers and political opponents by the PSNI.
The 200 page review details the PSNI’s abuse of covert surveillance powers including the targeting of journalists, solicitors, investigative journalists and legal teams involved in defending Republicans.
While the report makes a huge effort to limit the damage to the PSNI, it is clear that there exists a culture of retribution and animosity towards those who try to hold them to account. Twenty-one different cases of illegal use of these surveillance powers were noted in the report, which was more than twice the number previously admitted to by the PSNI. It also reitterates the admission that in the same time period they made more than 300 applications to access the communications data of journalists, and more than 500 applications to access the data of solicitors. These form part of 8,500 applications each year.
One notable example in the review is the case of Donal MacIntyre, a journalist who assisting an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death of schoolboy Noah Donahoe in 2020. At the same time the PSNI were using Public Interest Immunity (PII) to withhold information from the inquest, they spent four months conducting covert surveillance against the journalist.
Furthermore, the review went on to detail how the PSNI spied on the legal team of the Craigavon Two in the run up to the attempted appeal of their convictions in 2013. This same appeal involved known state agent Denis McFadden. These revelations mean that the Craigavon Two case must be re-examined. However they have already spent more than fifteen years in jail and this time can never be given back.
None of the revelations in this report will come as any surprise to Republicans or those who have publicly challenged the actions of the PSNI. As a force they are unchanged since the days of the RUC. In fact they are unchangeable. Those within our communities who continue to support this very same force who commit these crimes and support their recruitment campaigns should be called out.
There is nothing normal about the PSNI.
- Twice as likely to arrest you if you are a ‘Catholic’.
- Twice as likely to charge you with a crime if you are a ‘Catholic’.
- RUC Special Branch still exists, now known as C3 Intelligence – extreme majority of staff former RUC personnel.
- Forcibly stopped and searched more than 370,00 people in a ten year period – the equivalent of one-fifth of the population of the Six Counties.
- Majority of those searched under certain draconian legislation known to be ‘Catholics’.
- Heavily involved in court cases preventing justice for victims and families of state collusion – protecting RUC personnel.
- Enforcing evictions from family homes.
- Interning republicans on remand.
- And more…
