Liberty responds to news UK soldiers unlikely to face prosecution for Iraq war crimes

Liberty, the human rights organisation, has responded to news that British soldiers accused of committing war crimes in Iraq are unlikely to face criminal prosecution.

Nadia O’Mara, Liberty campaigns and policy officer, said: “The length of time it’s taken to get to this point is unacceptable. There have been serious and credible allegations of wrongdoing in Iraq – yet only a handful of prosecutions have followed, leaving many victims without justice.

“Instead of addressing the root causes of the failures and delayed investigations which have left us where we are today, the Government is misguidedly trying to use the Overseas Operation Bill to put a time limit on justice and decriminalise torture in all but name. These proposals will harm all victims and the Armed Forces alike.

“If Ministers are serious about delivering justice for all victims and fairness for soldiers they must reform the system so that serious allegations of abuse are robustly and independently investigated from the outset.”