A human rights organisation has accused the media of waging a "campaign of vilification" against Ms Bernadette Sands McKevitt and her husband, Mr Michael McKevitt, following the "Real IRA's" Omagh bombing.
British-Irish Watch, whose sponsors include Mr Kader Asmal and Mr Mike Mansfield QC, has also claimed some politicians played a role in the campaign.
It alleges that Government sources, and one leading political figure, briefed reporters that Mr McKevitt was prominent in the "Real IRA".
The human rights group has drawn up a report on media coverage of the couple.
It has been sent to the UN special rapporteur on freedom of expression and opinion, Mr Abid Hussain. Copies have also been sent to the British and Irish governments, the National Union of Journalists and the Newspaper Publishers' Association.
Ms Sands McKevitt is the secretary of the dissident republican group, the 32-County Sovereignty Movement.
British-Irish Watch said the couple, who live in Blackrock, Co Louth, had strenuously denied any involvement in the bomb which killed 29 people and neither had been questioned by police in connection with the blast.
"Nevertheless, the media have run a relentless campaign of vilification, accusing them of involvement in the bombing and putting their lives at risk in so doing.
"They have also published their photographs and photographs of their children and their home which has further endangered their lives.
"As a result, Bernadette McKevitt has been excluded from her shop in Dundalk and has lost her livelihood.
"The couple have also received a large quantity of hate mail, including death threats."
The report contains articles about the couple from a wide range of newspapers, including the Daily Telegraph, the Guardian, Ireland on Sunday, the Sunday Business Post, The Irish Times, the Star, and the Sun.
The director of British-Irish Watch, Ms Jane Winter, said her organisation did not condone violence nor was in a position to know the truth about Omagh.
However, everyone was entitled to equal treatment under the law and was innocent until proven guilty.