Appeal lodged in Lebanon over leniency of sentences in killing of Private Seán Rooney
Prosecutors in Lebanon have formally lodged an appeal against the sentences handed down to those indicted for the murder of Private Seán Rooney.
Tánaiste Simon Harris, who wrote to the Lebanese government last month to express the 'disappointment' of the Irish government and the Rooney family in the leniency of the sentences, has said a new military chief prosecutor has been appointed in Lebanon and will take over the case.
Pte Rooney (24), from Newtowncunningham, Co Donegal, was killed while serving in Lebanon when a convoy of Irish troops serving with a UN peacekeeping force was ambushed and fired upon on December 14, 2022.
The shooting, near the town of Al-Aqbiya in the south of Lebanon, a stronghold of militant group Hezbollah, resulted in the death of Pte Rooney while Trooper Shane Kearney (22) was badly wounded.
Private Sean Rooney was killed while serving with a UN peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon (Defence Forces/PA)
News in 90 Seconds - August 13th
A military tribunal in Beirut convicted one main defendant, Mohammad Ayyad, for the murder of Pte Rooney and has sentenced him to death, but he is still currently at large.
A number of other men received lesser sentences in relation to the incident.
An appeal against the sentences was lodged this afternoon with the military Cassation Court, with Mr Harris saying the Lebanese authorities have 'committed to taking urgent steps to ensure the individual convicted of the murder of Private Rooney is taken into custody'.
Mr Harris said he met with Pte Rooney's mother, Natasha, who had criticised Mr Harris's engagement with the family on the matter, this afternoon and informed her of the developments in the aftermath of talks with the Lebanese Justice and Defence Ministers.
He welcomed the confirmation that an appeal has been formally lodged against the sentences handed down for the murder of Pte Rooney and the attacks on Shane Kearney, Corporal Joshua Phelan and Trooper Nathan Bryan in the same incident, which he described as 'simply not acceptable and very disappointing'.
'I have this afternoon spoken with Seán's mother, Natasha, who I was pleased also to meet last week,' he added.
'I informed her of today's developments and have committed to following up directly with the Lebanese Government in relation to the appeal itself.
'In my calls with my Lebanese counterparts, I made it clear that the sentences handed down in this case are simply not acceptable and are very disappointing.
'They have caused great upset and insult to the Rooney family and everything must be done to ensure justice is served for Seán and his colleagues who were injured.'
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