Man sentenced to death over killing of Irish soldier

BBC News was sentenced to death in Lebanon for the murder of a man in the task of protecting a UN peace.

Pte Seán Rooney was in an armored UN vehicle While traveling to Beirut on December 14, 2022.

He was the first Irish soldier who died in Lebanon for more than 20 years in Lebanon. Three people were injured in the incident.

Mohammad Ayyad, the main defendant in the case. It seems that he didn’t appear in court on Monday.

Some other men were sentenced to shoot.

According to Irish publisher RTé, the death penalty was declared in a military court in Beirut.

Taoiseach (Irish Prime Minister) Micheál Martin, while welcoming the conviction of the main defendant, “is still great,” he said.

“Many of them will feel that the sentences transferred to other defendants are very soft.” He said.

“Protecting peace is the most noble reason for everyone, and the role of the peace guard should always be honored and respected,” he said.

Taoiseach said that PTE Rooney’s family, especially for her mother Natasha, is a “very difficult day”.

“Sean was a great soldier who put the safety of others before his safety on his duty line.” He said.

“It was brave and diligent. My thoughts and prayers are difficult with Natasha, family, friends and colleagues.”

Tánaiste (Irish Deputy Prime Minister) Simon Harris said that the main defendant welcomed the conviction of the main defendant and other defendants who had not been in court before.

Harris, “I was disappointed while noting the sentence delivered to the main defendant, and today I am disappointed to many of the prisoners in the lighter sentences I share the disappointment of private Rooney’s family.” He said.

Tánaiste said that Pte Rooney was “a final sacrifice in the quest for noble peace.”

“I appreciate that this is an incredibly difficult day for the private Rooney family. None of us will be able to grasp their unreasonable pain and grief, and all my thoughts remain with them right now.” He said.

Harris visited Beirut last March and met with Foreign Ministers of Foreign Affairs.

He said that he had raised the “deep disappointment at the slow speed of the trial” about those accused of the death of Pte Rooney before the Lebanese Military Court.

The court said that the date of the hearing was put forward from September to Monday.

Taoiseach said that “the justice system in Lebanon and the delay of progress in this case,” he said.

Speaking to the media on Tuesday, Martin said, “The court decided.”

“We cannot intervene in the court’s operations, but I think the whole process has certainly left a lot of desired,” he said.