Irish Soldier’s Killer Escapes to Iran: Will Justice Ever Be Served?
A Hezbollah militant convicted of killing Irish UN peacekeeper Sean Rooney in 2022 is believed to be hiding in Iran, evading a death sentence issued in absentia. Irish officials, expressing frustration over lenient sentences for other defendants, are pressing Lebanese authorities to pursue justice.
Nearly three years after the targeted killing of Irish UN peacekeeper Private Sean Rooney, the primary suspect, Mohammad Ayyad, remains at large, believed to be hiding in Iran. On December 14, 2022, Rooney, a 23-year-old from Dundalk, was driving a UN armoured vehicle in Al-Aqbiya, southern Lebanon, when Hezbollah gunmen opened fire on his convoy. The group, en route from a base near the Israeli border to Beirut airport, had strayed into Hezbollah-controlled territory. Rooney was fatally shot in the head, and three other Irish soldiers were injured in what investigators determined was a deliberate terrorist attack, not a spontaneous clash. Ayyad, arrested shortly after, was released on medical bail in November 2023 and sentenced to death in absentia by a Lebanese military tribunal in July 2025 for his role in the murder.
Diplomatic sources cited by Ireland’s Sunday World newspaper expressed scepticism about apprehending Ayyad, stating, “We suspect he is in Iran and it is unlikely anyone will hand him over to face a death penalty. It is not a satisfactory situation but all we can do is keep the pressure on and see if we can get justice for Sean and his family.” Irish Taoiseach Micheál Martin welcomed the conviction but called Ayyad’s freedom “unsatisfactory,” adding, “Many will feel the sentences passed down on the other defendants are far too lenient. The justice system in Lebanon, and the delay in progressing in this case, was deeply regrettable.” Defense Minister Simon Harris, after meeting Rooney’s mother, Natasha, echoed the frustration, saying, “While noting the sentence handed down to the main defendant, I am disappointed and share the disappointment of Pte Rooney’s family at the lighter sentences imposed on a number of those convicted today.”
Other defendants received minimal penalties: one got three months in prison and a fine, another one month and a fine, and three were fined 200 million Lebanese pounds each. Lebanon’s moratorium on executions since 2004 suggests Ayyad’s sentence would likely become life imprisonment if enforced. Following pressure from Ireland and Rooney’s family, Lebanese authorities have appealed the lighter sentences and appointed a new military prosecutor to pursue Ayyad, though no clear plan for his capture exists. The case underscores ongoing tensions with Hezbollah and challenges in securing justice in Lebanon’s complex political landscape.