Seán Rooney: Defendants ‘convicted in Beirut' of killing of Irish peacekeeper in 2022
Seán Rooney (24), from Newtowncunningham in Co Donegal, was killed when a convoy of Irish troops serving with a UN peacekeeping force was ambushed and fired upon on December 14th, 2022.
Advertisement
The shooting happened near the town of Al-Aqbiya in the south of Lebanon, a stronghold of Hezbollah.
Pte Rooney, from the 121 Infantry Battalion of the Defence Forces, was killed.
The Military Tribunal in Beirut for those indicted for the murder of Private Sean Rooney has concluded.
This is an incredibly difficult day for the family of Private Rooney. None of us can fathom their unimaginable pain & grief and all my thoughts remain with them at this time
pic.twitter.com/MKt1BHX2eY
— Simon Harris TD (@SimonHarrisTD)
July 28, 2025
On Monday, Simon Harris said he had been informed of the completion of a military tribunal in Beirut for those indicted for the murder of Pte Rooney.
'I welcome the conviction of the main defendant and a number of the other defendants, who had not previously been in court,' he said.
Advertisement
'While noting the sentence handed down to the main defendant, I am disappointed and share the disappointment of Pte Rooney's family at the lighter sentences imposed on a number of those convicted today.
'Seán Rooney made the ultimate sacrifice in the noble pursuit of peace. This is a difficult time for his family and his colleagues, especially those who were injured that night. All our thoughts are with them at this time.'
The Tánaiste said he pressed the case during his visit to Beirut in March during meetings with the Lebanese Ministers for Foreign Affairs and Defence.
Tánaiste Simon Harris meets troops during his visit to Camp Shamrock in Lebanon in March. Photo: Niall Carson/PA
'I raised, in the strongest terms, my deep frustration at the slow pace of proceedings before the Lebanese Military Tribunal concerning those charged with Pte Rooney's killing,' he said.
Advertisement
'I appreciate, therefore, the efforts of the court to bring forward the hearing date from September to today.
Ireland
Mother of Irish soldier Sean Rooney gets permissio...
Read More
'During my visit to Beirut, I left the Lebanese ministers in no doubt as to the absolute determination of the Irish Government to ensure that those responsible for Private Rooney's death are brought to justice.
'I want to express my appreciation to my officials, members of the Defence Forces, Ireland's Ambassador to Lebanon, Ireland's Honorary Consul to Lebanon, and the Department's Lebanese lawyer, all of whom attended today's hearing along with a member of Sean's family.'
He added: 'Finally, I appreciate that this is an incredibly difficult day for the family of Private Rooney. None of us can fathom their unimaginable pain and grief and all my thoughts remain with them at this time.'
Advertisement
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
22 minutes ago
- The Independent
Sean ‘Diddy' Combs is denied release on bond to await sentencing
Sean 'Diddy' Combs can't go home from jail to await sentencing on his prostitution-related conviction, a judge said Monday, denying the rap and style mogul's latest bid for bail. Combs has been behind bars since his September arrest. He faced federal charges of coercing girlfriends into having drug-fueled sex marathons with male sex workers while he watched and filmed them. He was acquitted last month of the top charges — racketeering and sex trafficking — while being convicted of two counts of a prostitution-related offense. In denying Combs' $50 million bond proposal, Judge Arun Subramanian said the hip hop impresario had failed to prove that he did not pose a risk of flight or danger, adding that the record did not show an 'exceptional circumstance' that would justify his release after a conviction that otherwise requires detention. Combs' arguments 'might have traction in a case that didn't involve evidence of violence, coercion, or subjugation in connection with the acts of prostitution at issue, but the record here contains evidence of all three,' the judge wrote. Messages seeking comment were sent to prosecutors and one of Combs' lawyers. The conviction carries the potential for up to 10 years in prison. But there are complicated federal guidelines for calculating sentences in any given case, and prosecutors and Combs' lawyers disagree substantially on how the guidelines come out for his case. The guidelines aren't mandatory, and Subramanian will have wide latitude in deciding Combs' punishment. The Bad Boy Records founder, now 55, was for decades a protean figure in pop culture. A Grammy-winning hip hop artist and entrepreneur with a flair for finding and launching big talents, he presided over a business empire that ranged from fashion to reality TV. Prosecutors claimed he used his fame, wealth and violence to force and manipulate two now-ex-girlfriends into days-long, drugged-up sexual performances he called 'freak-offs' or 'hotel nights.' His lawyers argued that the government tried to criminalize consensual, if unconventional, sexual tastes that played out in complicated relationships. The defense acknowledged that Combs had violent outbursts but said nothing he did came amounted to the crimes with which he was charged. Since the verdict, his lawyers have repeatedly renewed their efforts to get him out on bail until his sentencing, set for October. They have argued that the acquittals undercut the rationale for holding him, and they have pointed to other people who were released before sentencing on similar convictions. Defense lawyer Marc Agnifilo suggested in a court filing that Combs was the United States' 'only person in jail for hiring adult male escorts for him and his girlfriend.' The defense's most recent proposal included the $50 million bond, plus travel restrictions, and expressed openness to adding on house arrest at his Miami home, electronic monitoring, private security guards and other requirements. Prosecutors opposed releasing Combs. They wrote that his 'extensive history of violence — and his continued attempt to minimize his recent violent conduct — demonstrates his dangerousness and that he is not amendable to supervision.'
BreakingNews.ie
23 minutes ago
- BreakingNews.ie
Sean ‘Diddy' Combs denied release from jail to await sentencing
Sean 'Diddy' Combs cannot go home from jail to await sentencing on his prostitution-related conviction, a judge said on Monday, denying the rap and style mogul's latest bid for bail. Combs has been behind bars since his September arrest. He faced federal charges of coercing girlfriends into having drug-fuelled sex marathons with male sex workers while he watched and filmed them. Advertisement He was acquitted last month of the top charges – racketeering and sex trafficking – while being convicted of two counts of a prostitution-related offence. The conviction carries the potential for up to 10 years in prison. But there are complicated federal guidelines for calculating sentences in any given case, and prosecutors and Combs' lawyers disagree substantially on how the guidelines come out for his case. The guidelines are not mandatory, and Judge Arun Subramanian will have wide latitude in deciding Combs' punishment. The Bad Boy Records founder, now 55, was for decades a huge figure in pop culture. A Grammy-winning hip hop artist and entrepreneur with a flair for finding and launching big talents, he presided over a business empire that ranged from fashion to reality TV. Advertisement Prosecutors claimed he used his fame, wealth and violence to force and manipulate two now-ex-girlfriends into days-long, drugged-up sexual performances he called 'freak-offs' or 'hotel nights'. His lawyers argued that the government tried to criminalise consensual, if unconventional, sexual tastes that played out in complicated relationships. The defence acknowledged that Combs had violent outbursts but said nothing he did came amounted to the crimes with which he was charged. Since the verdict, his lawyers have repeatedly renewed their efforts to get him out on bail until his sentencing, set for October. They have argued that the acquittals undercut the rationale for holding him, and they have pointed to other people who were released before sentencing on similar convictions. Advertisement Defence lawyer Marc Agnifilo suggested in a court filing that Combs was the United States' 'only person in jail for hiring adult male escorts for him and his girlfriend'. The defence's most recent proposal included a 50 million-dollar (£37.6 million) bond and travel restrictions and expressed openness to adding on house arrest at his Miami home, electronic monitoring, private security guards and other requirements. Prosecutors opposed releasing Combs. They wrote that his 'extensive history of violence — and his continued attempt to minimise his recent violent conduct – demonstrates his dangerousness and that he is not amendable to supervision'.
The Guardian
23 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Judge denies Sean ‘Diddy' Combs bail ahead of sentencing
Sean 'Diddy' Combs cannot go home from jail to await sentencing on his prostitution-related conviction, a judge said Monday, denying the mogul's latest bid for bail. Combs has been behind bars since his September arrest. He faced federal charges of coercing girlfriends into having drug-fueled sex marathons with male sex workers while he watched and filmed them. He was acquitted last month of the top charges – racketeering and sex trafficking – while being convicted of two counts of a prostitution-related offense. The conviction carries the potential for up to 10 years in prison. But there are complicated federal guidelines for calculating sentences in any given case, and prosecutors and Combs's lawyers disagree substantially on how the guidelines come out for his case. In any event, the guidelines are not mandatory, and Arun Subramanian, the judge, will have wide latitude in deciding Combs's punishment. The Bad Boy Records founder, now 55, was for decades a protean figure in pop culture. A Grammy-winning hip-hop artist and entrepreneur with a flair for finding and launching big talents, he presided over a business empire that ranged from fashion to reality TV. Prosecutors claimed he used his fame, wealth and violence to force and manipulate two now-ex-girlfriends into days-long, drugged-up sexual performances he called 'freak-offs' or 'hotel nights'. His lawyers argued that the government tried to criminalize consensual, if unconventional, sexual tastes that played out in complicated relationships. The defense acknowledged that Combs had violent outbursts but said nothing he did came amounted to the crimes with which he was charged. Since the verdict, his lawyers have repeatedly renewed their efforts to get him out on bail until his sentencing, set for October. They have argued that the acquittals undercut the rationale for holding him, and they have pointed to other people who were released before sentencing on similar convictions. Defense lawyer Marc Agnifilo suggested in a court filing that Combs was the US's 'only person in jail for hiring adult male escorts for him and his girlfriend'. The defense's most recent proposal included a $50m bond and travel restrictions and expressed openness to adding on house arrest at his Miami home, electronic monitoring, private security guards and other requirements. Prosecutors opposed releasing Combs. They wrote that his 'extensive history of violence – and his continued attempt to minimize his recent violent conduct – demonstrates his dangerousness and that he is not amendable to supervision'.
