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BBC staff released without charge
Four BBC journalists arrested by gardai investigating paramilitary activity have been released without charge, a garda spokeswoman said today.
The four were among 11 men arrested yesterday. The BBC staff were held under Section 30 of the Offences Against the State Act.
All were questioned by detectives at three garda stations in Co Donegal, close to the border with Northern Ireland.
The BBC said yesterday that the journalists were working on a Northern Ireland current affairs investigation and had full editorial authority under the Corporation's guidelines.
"We can confirm that some of those arrested this morning in Co Donegal were BBC journalists," a BBC spokeswoman said.
"They were working on a BBC Northern Ireland current affairs investigation and had full editorial authorisation under the BBC's guidelines.
"The other parties present were fully aware that they were with BBC journalists."
The journalists were probing Real IRA activity in the area for BBC's Spotlight programme, which also produces material for Panorama.
The Real IRA was born out of a split in the mainstream Provisional movement in October 1997.
It was behind the worst single atrocity of over 30 years of violence in Northern Ireland when a car bomb went off in Omagh, Co Tyrone, in August 1998 killing 29 people.
It is also believed responsible for a number of attacks in London, including one on MI6 headquarters in 2000.
The group also claimed responsibility for the shooting of two police officers in counties Tyrone and Derry last November, which detectives are treating as attempted murder.
It was understood the BBC provided legal representation for their journalists. National Union of Journalists (NUJ) Irish Secretary Seamus Dooley confirmed the men were NUJ members.
"We would be confident that the BBC would uphold the right of their journalists to protect confidential sources of information," he said.
© 2008 ireland.com
