ICC to probe claims British Army commited

Iraq war crimes

The International Criminal Court is reopening an investigation into allegations of war
crimes against the British Army in Iraq.
TUESDA !" #A $%!&
'ew information was provi(e( to the ICC at the start of the year) alleging
*systematic (etainee a+use*) prompting the ICC,s prosecutor to re-e.amine the case.
The British government has respon(e( +y saying it *completely re/ects* claims of
systemic a+use.
The ICC was first encourage( to loo0 at allegations of war crimes in $%%1) +ut
(etermine( that the *require( gravity threshol( was not met*.
2owever) the European Centre for Constitutional an( 2uman 3ights sai( on !%
4anuary it ha( su+mitte( *$5% pages of factual an( legal analysis* to the ICC. At the
time) British 6oreign Secretary 7illiam 2ague dismissed calls for an ICC
investigations, saying the allegations had "already been dealt with".
The ECC23 says *over &%% Iraqi former (etainees have +rought allegations of grave
mistreatment committe( (uring the five years which the U8 an( multinational forces
operate( in Iraq) from $%%" to $%%9*.
Special report: Iraq War - 1 years on
Accor(ing to the ICC) the new evi(ence *alleges a higher num+er of cases of ill-
treatment of (etainees an( provi(es further (etails on the factual circumstances
an( the geographical an( temporal scope of the allege( crimes*.
Together with :u+lic Interest ;awyers <:I;=) ECC23 has chosen 95 representative
cases for analysis +y the ICC.
7here allegations have +een ma(e that in(ivi(uals may have +ro0en those
laws) they are +eing comprehensively investigate(.!ominic "rieve #C
:I; is currently acting for more than !)%1> former (etainees an( surviving relatives
who allege that they or their family mem+ers were unlawfully (etaine() torture() or
0ille( +y U8 service personnel in Iraq. The firm represente( the family of $aha
%o&sa an( is also representing allege( victims of mistreatment in Iraq at the long-
running Al-Swea(y Inquiry into inci(ents after the Battle of Danny Boy in southern
Iraq in #ay $%%&.
;ast month) the #inistry of Defence claime( Iraqi complainants ha( repeatedly lied
to the 'l-Sweady inq&iry.
,Best in the worl(,
Dominic ?rieve) the British attorney general) sai( the U8 government *completely
re/ects* the allegations an( woul( (o *whatever necessary* to show such allegations
ha( +een (ealt with +y the national /ustice system.
*British troops are some of the +est in the worl( an( we e.pect them to operate to
the highest stan(ar(s) in line with +oth (omestic an( international law)* he sai(.
*In my e.perience) the vast ma/ority of our arme( forces meet those e.pectations.
7here allegations have +een ma(e that in(ivi(uals may have +ro0en those laws)
they are +eing comprehensively investigate(.
*As the minister responsi+le for overseeing the U8,s prosecutors) I un(erstan( the
importance of the ICC prosecutor following the proper legal proce(ures when
complaints are ma(e.
*The U8 government has +een) an( remains) a strong supporter of the ICC an( I will
provi(e the office of the prosecutor with whatever is necessary to (emonstrate that
British /ustice is following its proper course.*