Northern Ireland

Saoradh Facebook page restored days after legal threat

A Facebook page belonging to Saroadh has been restored
A Facebook page belonging to Saroadh has been restored A Facebook page belonging to Saroadh has been restored

A Facebook page of a hardline republican party which was removed from the site has reappeared just days after legal action was threatened.

Saoradh had accused the social media giant of political discrimination after claims it removed pages last year.

However, the party’s "national page" reappeared on Monday.

In a letter to its lawyer, Darragh Mackin of Phoenix Law, a law firm representing Facebook Ireland said it had "not discriminated against your client on the grounds of political opinion or otherwise”.

It is understood shortly after the page was restored a video of a republican funeral in Derry was removed and an administrator banned for 30 days.

Mr Mackin had been seeking a court order to force Facebook to reinstate the pages, alleging it was a breach of the right to freedom of expression in the European Convention on Human Rights.

He said last night: “The reinstatement of the Saoradh Facebook page is considerably important for the principle of freedom of expression.

“It can never be acceptable to allow social media giants to dictate as to who can and who cannot express their political opinion.”

Saoradh is supported by prisoners from the group known as the ‘IRA’ or ‘New IRA’ in Maghaberry and Portlaoise prisons.

The Irish Republican Socialist Party (IRSP) has previously also complained after Facebook pages were taken down.