Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams has defended Thomas "Slab" Murphy, the Co Louth man who was convicted this week on nine charges of tax evasion.

In a statement distributed on social media, Mr Adams said Mr Murphy has been treated "unfairly" following his conviction by the non-jury Special Criminal Court.

Murphy (66), Hackballscross was found guilty by the three-judge-court, of failing to furnish tax returns for nearly a decade from 1996.

Mr Adams said everyone “has a duty” to pay the taxes for which they are liable, adding that “ There can be no equivocation on this whatsoever.”

The Sinn Féin president said "I believe that Tom Murphy has been treated unfairly. All citizens have a right to be judged by a jury of their peers."

He said it was “extraordinary” that a case involving tax evasion was heard before the non-jury court.

“Tom Murphy’s rights have been denied to him,” Mr Adams claimed.

Mr Adams claimed “prominent public figures” accused of tax irregularities “including TDs” have not been treated in the same way as Mr Murphy.

“Neither have they been labelled as criminals by those media outlets currently writing lurid headlines abour Mr Murphy,” he wrote.

“I have been asked if I consider Tom Murphy a good republican,” Mr Adams wrote.

“The answer to that is yes.”

Mr Murphy was convicted following a 32-day trial during which the court heard Murphy received €100,000 in State and EU subsidies and had been involved in cattle sales worth hundreds of thousands of euro at a number of marts.

A 2006 raid on his farm led by the Criminal Assets Bureau (Cab), backed up by 400 British and Irish soldiers, PSNI members and gardaí led to the seizure of €625,000 in cash and cheques.

Following the raid a €1 million settlement was made with Cab and the UK's Serious and Organised Crime Agency.