Image caption Kevin Hannaway, 67, appeared in court in Dublin along with four other people

A Belfast man who was part of a group who say they were tortured in Northern Ireland in the 1970s, has appeared at a Dublin court charged with assisting the IRA.

Kevin Hannaway, 67, of Colin Mill in Belfast, and four-co-accused appeared in court on Monday evening.

The five were arrested on Saturday as part of an operation targeting dissident republican activity.

Mr Hannaway was one of the "hooded men" interned in 1971.

He appeared before the Special Criminal Court in Dublin on Monday charged with knowingly rendering assistance to an unlawful organisation styling itself the Irish Republican Army on 7 and 8 August.

His co-accused Edward O'Brien, 41, of Hazelcroft Road, Finglas, Dublin, and Eva Shannon, 59, of Oakman Street, Belfast, are charged with the same offence on the same date.

David Nooney, 52, of Coultry Green, Ballymun, Dublin, and Sean Hannaway, of Linden Gardens, Belfast, were each charged with membership of the IRA on 8 August.

A detective said that he formally arrested Kevin Hannaway at Tower Road, Clondalkin, Dublin, at 14:50 local time on Monday.

Application

He said that he explained to Mr Hannaway the reason for his arrest and cautioned him, to which Mr Hannaway replied: "I understand".

The detective said that at the time he believed Mr Hannaway had committed the offence for which he was arrested.

The detective told the court that his application was for a remand in custody for all five accused.

The judge remanded the five in custody to appear before the court again on 17 August.

Lawyers for the "hooded men" were granted leave to seek a judicial review at the High Court in Belfast in June.

They are calling the PSNI chief constable, Northern Ireland Secretary and Department of Justice to account over alleged failures to order a full inquiry.

The men claim they were subjected to torture techniques after being held without trial in 1971.