Martin O'Hagan

Martin O'Hagan was born in Lurgan to Catholic and republican parents. He joined the Official Irish Republican Army (Official IRA) and the Official Sinn Féin in his youth, and was arrested and sentenced for firearms offences in 1973. He spent five years in Long Kesh prison, where he studied journalism with the Open University. After his release, he became a reporter for Fortnight and the Sunday World, covering the Troubles in Northern Ireland. He exposed the criminal activities of various paramilitary groups, such as the Loyalist Volunteer Force (LVF), the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) and the Provisional IRA. He also worked with Channel 4's Dispatches programme, revealing the collusion between security forces and loyalist death squads in several sectarian murders. He was the only journalist killed during the Troubles, and his murder was widely condemned by politicians, journalists and human rights activists. He was awarded posthumously the Press Freedom Award by Reporters Without Borders in 2001. His killers have never been brought to justice, despite several arrests and trials. His family has accused the police and the Ministry of Defence of having information that could have prevented his assassination, and is suing them for negligence and breach of human rights.