Last week an AIA activist attended a series of talks in the Law Department of NUIG Galway m last week regarding the Free State’s use of the Offences Against the State act.
A variety of speakers from different perspectives looked into the unique history of the state’s use of such draconian laws and contrasted them as particularly repressive even within comparison to other European state’s with more austere reputations.
One speaker highlighted how Irish laws and the Offences Against the State act are entirely based around the high points of revolutionary Republican struggle in the country, and that, despite the red herring of organised crime, such powers remain distinctly politicised and to this day are used to suppress republican activity.
The talks covered various angles of state repression, from non jury courts to the intricacies of belief evidence in respect to ‘prescribed’ organisations.
Such talks by non affiliated academics speak to the overwhelming legitimacy of republican activists when they decry the myriad of ways in which the Offences Against the State act hampers practicing basic democratic rights.
AIA will continue to campaign against the Free States Offences against the State Act and their Special Courts and highlight how such emergency powers are used to target Republican Activists.