Saoradh can confirm that two senior members of our National Executive were detained by Lithuanian authorities today (16 May) following their return from a series of political engagements in Belarus with the Anti-Imperialist Front.
The activists were intercepted by border guards upon crossing into Lithuania and were held for a number of hours without clear explanation.
Stephen Murney, Saoradh’s National Chairperson, said:
“It later emerged that their detention was prompted by a so-called ‘security alert’ issued jointly by Lithuanian and Irish authorities, a blatant act of political policing and international collaboration against legitimate political activism. This is nothing less than an attempt to criminalise political engagement and dissent.”
During over four hours of questioning by Lithuanian National Security operatives, our activists refused to engage with any intrusive or politically motivated interrogations, asserting only that the purpose of their visit was informational and educational.
Upon their release, Lithuanian officials informed the activists that, due to their refusal to participate in this political inquisition, they now face sanctions and are to be barred from entering Lithuania in the future.
Murney continued: “This incident represents yet another example of the ongoing harassment and suppression faced by Irish Republican activists on an international scale. It is part of an expanding pattern of international collaboration between hostile regimes and the Irish state, aimed at suppressing the revolutionary voice of Irish Republicanism.”
Whether through domestic harassment, censorship, or transnational intimidation, the objective remains the same: to silence those who dare to challenge the status quo.
“Saoradh will not be silenced, deterred, or intimidated,”
Murney stated. “We will continue to engage with international allies, to speak truth to power, and to expose the hypocritical and oppressive nature of those who preach ‘democracy’ while practising political repression.”
We salute our comrades for their steadfastness and principled resistance under pressure. Their refusal to bend in the face of foreign interrogation is a testament to the courage and discipline that defines revolutionary Irish republicanism.
Note: They were also harassed by the Irish Garda’s Special Branch at Dublin Airport.
We Anti-Imperialist Front condemn the actions of both Lithuanian and Irish Police. They are attacking to our rights and liberties. We will defend them rigorously. These rights and liberties were gained by centuries long struggle of the people.
We will not let them to deny our right to travel, associate and organise. We cannot be intimidated nor deterred from carrying on our justified and legitimate struggle against imperialism and fascism.
Anti-Imperialist front
