Families Acting for Innocent Relatives
Families Acting for Innocent Relatives (FAIR) is a non-governmental group started in 1998 in County Armagh, Northern Ireland. It is based in Markethill and says it is non-sectarian and non-political, and that it works for the innocent victims of terrorism in South Armagh.
FAIR was founded and led by Willie Frazer until he stepped down in November 2012. Frazer lost five family members to violence by the Provisional IRA during the Troubles. He said FAIR represented people who felt left out by peace process compromises and by Sinn Féin being in government. FAIR opposed the early release of republican prisoners after the 1998 Belfast Agreement and asked for full public investigations into possible collusion between Irish authorities and republicans in the deaths of RUC officers, loyalists, and Protestant civilians. FAIR even met with the Smithwick Tribunal to discuss this. Frazer also said loyalist prisoners who were released should not have been imprisoned in the first place.
In February 2006, FAIR and the Love Ulster group tried to march in Dublin to draw attention to unionist victims of IRA violence. A riot occurred, the march did not go ahead, and the protesters were bused to meet Ireland's Justice Minister Michael McDowell. While some accused Republican Sinn Féin of organizing the riot, those claims were later rejected. In 2007, FAIR and Love Ulster planned another Dublin march, but it was canceled after officials offered a meeting.
Critics note that FAIR has named Robert McConnell, a member of the Ulster Defence Regiment, as a victim of IRA violence. McConnell was linked to the killing of Eugene Reavey’s brothers in 1976 and to the Dublin and Monaghan bombings in 1974. FAIR also supported Ian Paisley’s claim that Reavey killed ten Protestant civilians in the Kingsmill massacre. FAIR rejected the police chief’s dismissal of that claim.
In 2007, Peter Robinson of the DUP wrote to Frazer, suggesting he focus on Victim Support rather than politics to gain cooperation.
In May 2010, FAIR’s head researcher, William Wilkinson, was convicted of rape and attempted rape and sentenced to seven years. He was also a Ballymena councillor for the Ulster Unionist Coalition Party. His appeal was rejected in July 2011.
In February 2010 the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister told the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB) that FAIR had published political material critical of a DUP-Sinn Féin deal on policing and justice.
In September 2010 the SEUPB pulled £880,000 of funding from FAIR after a thorough audit found major problems with how FAIR handled grants and procedures. The money was to be recovered. The matter was referred to the PSNI; a year later prosecutors said there was not enough evidence for a criminal case, so no charges were filed.
On 16 November 2012, after reviewing the audit, Frazer said he would step down as FAIR director.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 00:59 (CET).