The mother of slain Irish peacekeeper Private Seán Rooney has criticised the Lebanese trial that convicted and sentenced those involved in his killing this week.
In a statement, Natasha Rooney said her family felt “extreme disappointment and heartbreak at the recent court proceedings in Lebanon” and called the process a “sham trial”.
“What happened in Lebanon was not justice,” Ms Rooney said in the statement.
“The trial into the murder of my son was heard and determined in less than half a day. Not only was justice not done, it was not seen to be done, with little to no information being disclosed or challenged in open Court,” the statement said.
“Instead, we are forced to believe the answers provided by a Lebanese justice system which from the outset has failed to hold those responsible to account,” the statement added.
On Monday, Lebanon’s Permanent Military Court found guilty six of the individuals charged in the killing of Private Rooney in December 2022. One individual was acquitted.
The main defendant Mohammad Ayyad was sentenced to death in absentia and remains at large.
One defendant was given a short custodial sentence and the others were fined.
UNIFIL, the United Nations peacekeeping force in Lebanon, welcomed the verdict and “the Government of Lebanon’s commitment to bring the perpetrators to justice”.
But the Taoiseach Micheál Martin said it was “unsatisfactory” that Ayyad remained at large.
Speaking on Tuesday morning, he added “many will feel the sentences passed down on the other defendants are far too lenient”.
The Tánaiste Simon Harris said he shared “the disappointment of Private Rooney’s family at the lighter sentences imposed on a number of those convicted today”.
In her statement, Ms Natasha Rooney questioned the timing of the proceedings, which were brought forward from the scheduled date in September 2025.
“The unforeseen expedition has been credited in some quarters as a testament to diplomatic pressures,” the statement said.
“To others, it is difficult to avoid the conclusive coincidence that the expediting of the trial process comes at the critical time the UN Mandate comes for renewal,” she wrote.
UNIFIL’s mandate is due to be renewed by the UN Security Council at the end of August.
Natasha Rooney labels trial a ‘sham’ process
Ms Rooney said her son’s legacy has, from the outset, been “tarnished with fake news and false narratives”.
“In the immediate aftermath, in what we believe was a concerted effort to shift the focus, the misnomer of a ‘wrong turn’ was perpetuated,” she wrote.
She said the reality behind that narrative was “very different”.
“The factual reality here is that the perpetrator who has been convicted for my son’s murder has been untraceable and untraced for many years.
“Not only did he not appear for his trial, but it is clear that he might never appear,” the statement said.
“The verdict in reality is nothing more than a headline to the Lebanese authorities who masquerade this sham trial process as a semblance of justice for my son,” she wrote.
“In what other country would accomplices to the murder of a peacekeeping soldier be sentenced to monetary fines,” the statement added.
“To the Lebanese Courts, assisting in the murder of my son is worth nothing more than 1200 dollars.
“Whilst hurt and disappointed, I expected nothing less from a Government that is run hand in glove with a terrorist organisation,” she wrote.
Ms Rooney also criticised the Irish Government for issuing public statements before consultation with the family.
“In a country where victims’ rights ought to be paramount, it would perhaps be wise for the Tánaiste to speak to me, before seeking to speak for me, in his public statements,” she wrote.
The Tánaiste has been contacted for comment.
Ms Rooney continued: “I am however not angry. I am determined. My son died trying to protect his three comrades as he made all efforts to escape an armed gang who had surrounded their vehicle and fired their shots. He dedicated his entire life to protect those of his three friends.”
The family of Private Seán Rooney has previously accused the United Nations of failing to cooperate or provide information from internal investigations.
“In his name, I will dedicate every bone in my body to ensure justice for Seán, and to highlight the uncomfortable truths about the systematic failings by the United Nations, the Irish Defence Forces and the Lebanese Justice system,” Ms Rooney said.
