British ‘torture troops’ may yet be charged

FORMER and serving British soldiers are awaiting a landmark report into the brutal death of an Iraqi civilian which could lead to them facing criminal charges.

Father-of-two Baha Mousa, 26, sustained 93 injuries while in the custody of 1st Battalion the Queen’s Lancashire Regiment (1QLR) in Basra, southern Iraq, in 2003. A major public inquiry into his death and the abuse of nine other Iraqi men held with him is expected to publish its findings in the spring.

While the inquiry has no powers to accuse the soldiers of crimes, prosecutors could use its report as the basis for bringing charges.