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Belfast man Kevin Hannaway, one of a group known as the 'Hooded Men' who are seeking revision of a controversial judgement on their detention during the troubles, will face trial at the Special Criminal Court in January 2018 for allegedly assisting the IRA.
Mr Hannaway (68) and four co-accused were arrested in August last year as part of an operation targeting dissident republican activity in Dublin, led by the garda Special Detective Unit, Emergency Response Unit and Crime and Security Branch.
He was one of a group of men, detained by British security forces during the troubles, who are seeking revision of a controversial 1978 judgement of the European Court of Human Rights, which said their treatment was “inhuman and degrading” but was not torture.
Mr Hannaway, of Collin Mill, Belfast is charged with knowingly rendering assistance to an unlawful organisation styling itself the Irish Republican Army, otherwise Oglaigh na hEireann, otherwise the IRA, namely with Sean Hannaway, assisting in interviewing persons involved in IRA organised criminal activities, said interviews being directly or indirectly in the furtherance of an unlawful object, at Riverwood Park, Castleknock, Dublin 15 on August 7th and 8th, 2015.
His co-accused Eva Shannon (59) of Oakman Street, Belfast is charged with the same offence on the same dates.
Edward O'Brien (41), of Hazelcroft Road, Finglas, Dublin 11, David Nooney (52) of Coultry Green, Ballymun, Dublin 11, and Seán Hannaway (47) of Linden Gardens, Belfast are each also charged with membership of an unlawful organisation within the State, namely an organisation styling itself the Irish Republican Army, otherwise Oglaigh na hEireann, otherwise the IRA on August 8th, 2015.
Ms Justice Isobel Kennedy, presiding, with Judge Sinead Ni Chulachain and Judge James Faughnan, fixed their trial for January 11th, 2018.
The trial is expected to last eight weeks.
The accused were all remanded on continuing bail until their trial.