Amnesty isn’t above the law

■ Does Amnesty International feel it is above the law? It has said it will not obey an order by the State’s ethical watchdog Sipo (Standards in Public Office Commission) to return the €137,000 donation from billionaire George Soros’s Open Society Foundations.

It is illegal for foreign donors to contribute to referendums. This money is used to fund a campaign to repeal the Eighth Amendment.

Colm O’Gorman, Amnesty International Ireland’s executive director, said to Irish media “we’re being asked to comply with a law that violates human rights and we can’t do that”.

How does Amnesty International think it is acceptable to use the human rights card to justify breaking the law of the land?

Mr O’Gorman also said: “We believe the law in this case is both unjust and inappropriately applied.”

So, basically, he knows there is a law there but refuses point blank to follow it.

Also, Amnesty says there is nothing underhanded about the donation, yet it was used to campaign for a repeal of the Eighth Amendment, to plan and implement the killing of Irish unborn babies. And now Mr Soros’s US-based organisation has become involved in our Irish abortion debate.

This is beyond a glaring interference in our Irish democracy. Last April, RTÉ reported that the Abortion Rights Campaign said it had returned a grant given by the same foundation led by Mr Soros after the Sipo gave an order to return it.

Just imagine what else is going on behind our backs to help repeal the Eighth Amendment. It is up to us all to protect our most vulnerable citizens and get involved.

Frances Kelleher Killarney, Co Kerry