Amnesty fights State over €137k donation

THE Irish wing of Amnesty International has gone to the High Court over its acceptance of a donation of more than €100,000 from philanthropist George Soros to campaign for repeal of the Eighth Amendment.

Amnesty wants to ‘promote the human rights of women and girls’ in Ireland, and accepting the €137,000 donation couldn’t be deemed a ‘criminal offence’ when it has the right to do so as a civil society group, its lawyers told the court yesterday.

They said to make Amnesty surrender the money now would hamper its right to ‘freedom of expression, freedom of association and its right to participate in the democratic dialogue’.

The row started last November when ethics watchdog Sipo ordered Amnesty to return the money to the Swiss-based Open Society Foundation on the basis that it has a ‘political purpose’. Therefore it breaches the Electoral Act, the court heard.

Amnesty claims Sipo has misinterpreted that law as it relates to political donations. Yesterday, it launched a civil action against Sipo, the State and the Attorney General. Brian Murray SC, for Amnesty, said: ‘It’s Amnesty’s contention that the law could not, and does not, include non-governmental human rights groups such as it from obtaining donations from outside the jurisdiction to assist in the conduct of its advocacy work.’

Judge Noonan granted Amnesty permission to launch a full judicial review against Sipo and the State. The case will come before the court again in April.