British troops face charges

FOUR British soldiers from the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers are to face a court martial charged with abusing Iraqi prisoners, British Attorney General Lord Goldsmith announced yesterday.

Charges against the four include assault, indecent assault which apparently involves making the victims engage in sexual activity between themselves, and a military charge of prejudicing good order and military discipline, said Lord Goldsmith.

The Attorney General said, in a written statement to peers, that the case “concerns conduct alleged to have occurred while the civilians were being temporarily detained, but not in a prison or detention facility”.

He said: “It involves photographic evidence developed in this country and referred to the UK police. A date for the trial has yet to be set by the Military Court Service. Any trial will be held in public.”

Lord Goldsmith said the Army Prosecuting Authority (APA) took the decision on June 11 to send the case for trial. He saidadded three further cases had been referred to the APA and “they are actively being considered at the moment”.

The Attorney General said the case involving the four soldiers from the Royal Fusiliers had already been referred to in the press.

Lord Goldsmith said there were “at least four other cases” which were likely to be referred to the APA in the near future bringing to a total of eight the number of cases referred to prosecuting authorities.