Sinn Féin for Justice, Equality and Law Reform Michael McDowell publicly accused three of the Sinn Féin leadership, Gerry Adams, Martin McGuinness and Martin Ferris (TD for Kerry North) of being on the seven-man IRA Army Council; they later denied this. On 27 February 2005, a demonstration against the murder of Robert McCartney on 30 January 2005 was held in east Belfast. Alex Maskey, a former Sinn Féin Lord Mayor of Belfast, was told by relatives of McCartney to "hand over the 12" IRA members involved. The McCartney family, although formerly Sinn Féin voters themselves, urged witnesses to the crime to contact
Seán Mackin (Irish republican) Seán Mackin (Irish republican) Seán Mackin is an Irish republican from Belfast, Northern Ireland and a fundraiser for the Friends of Sinn Féin (FOSF). Mackin, who had been a member of the Irish National Liberation Army, left Belfast with his family and applied for political asylum in the United States, alleging harassment and threats from the security forces. Mackin was also under threat from a murderous internal feud within the INLA. Immigration Judge Annette Elstein granted Mackin's wife and daughter Philomena and Jennifer political asylum in 1991. Seán Mackin was not granted asylum (as is sometimes misreported) but was granted