British soldiers could face murder charges for their actions on the battlefield during the Iraq war.
Investigators from the Iraq Historic Allegation Team (Ihat) set up by the Ministry of Defence disclosed last night that UK soldiers who have served in Iraq may face prosecution for crimes including murder.
It is likely to raise fears among hundreds of soldiers that they could be arrested and charged simply for doing their duty.
Mark Warwick – the head of Ihat, which was established in 2010 to investigate alleged criminal activity by UK forces – said the unit had been ‘overwhelmed with cases’.
While it has been investigating hundreds of allegations, this is the first time it is thought there is evidence for successful prosecution.
The number of victims of alleged ill-treatment in Iraq between 2003 and 2009 has risen tenfold since the unit was set up. In 2010, it was dealing with cases involving 152 victims. The figure is now 1,500 victims, according to Ihat’s latest quarterly update.
Of these, 280 are victims of alleged unlawful killing by UK forces in Iraq, and there are 1,235 alleged cases of ill-treatment, including accusations of rape and torture.
Investigators from the Iraq Historic Allegation Team (Ihat) set up by the Ministry of Defence disclosed last night that UK soldiers who have served in Iraq may face prosecution for crimes including murder.
It is likely to raise fears among hundreds of soldiers that they could be arrested and charged simply for doing their duty.
Mark Warwick – the head of Ihat, which was established in 2010 to investigate alleged criminal activity by UK forces – said the unit had been ‘overwhelmed with cases’.
While it has been investigating hundreds of allegations, this is the first time it is thought there is evidence for successful prosecution.
The number of victims of alleged ill-treatment in Iraq between 2003 and 2009 has risen tenfold since the unit was set up. In 2010, it was dealing with cases involving 152 victims. The figure is now 1,500 victims, according to Ihat’s latest quarterly update.
Of these, 280 are victims of alleged unlawful killing by UK forces in Iraq, and there are 1,235 alleged cases of ill-treatment, including accusations of rape and torture.
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