British servicemen to stand trial for war crimes

THREE British servicemen are to stand trial for the war crime of inhuman treatment of detainees in Iraq under the International Criminal Court Act 2001, the British attorney general Lord Goldsmith announced last night.

One of those charged under the ICC Act also faces an allegation of manslaughter. Although charged under the 2001 Act, the servicemen will face court martial in Britain rather than being tried at The Hague.

They are among 11 servicemen who face a range of charges in two separate cases arising from incidents in Iraq.

The three were named as Corporal Donald Payne, 34, of the Queen’s Lancashire Regiment, also alleged to have inhumanly treated other detainees.

The other two are Lance Corporal Wayne Crowcroft, 21, of the Queen’s Lancashire Regiment, and Private Darren Fallon, 22, of the Queen’s Lancashire Regiment.