Northern Editor Suzanne Breen explains why she will not comply with police pressure to reveal her sources in the Real IRA
On Monday, a Police Service of Northern Ireland officer arrived at my Belfast home with a letter. Detectives wanted my computer, disks, notes, phone, and any material relating to stories I'd written about the Real IRA.
I was given three days to comply. If I didn't, they'd seek a court order under the Terrorism Act. I won't be complying. The duty of a reporter to protect their sources is part of the National Union of Journalists' code of conduct. It doesn't matter whether those sources are police, paramilitaries, politicians, or civil servants.
Compliance would also destroy my livelihood and life. No organisation or individual with sensitive information would trust me again. If I did what the PSNI wants, my life would be in imminent danger. The Real IRA is utterly ruthless.
It shoots men delivering pizza to the security forces. It doesn't grant special status to journalists who, in its eyes, "collaborate". My Sunday Tribune stories related to the murder of two British soldiers at Massereene in March and that of Denis Donaldson three years ago.
Both investigations are matters of great public importance. But it's the job of police, not journalists, to bring those responsible to justice. The information I have about both attacks was printed in this newspaper. It's in the public domain.
I've no other information to substantially advance the police investigation. The Real IRA don't tell journalists their gunmen's identities. I wasn't allowed to record my interview...read more
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