Iraqi war victims set to sue for thousands

THE UK government faces a rush of highly embarrassing court cases and calls for a public inquiry from Iraqi prisoners after a ruling that British troops breached human rights in Basra.

The Ministry of Defence has already been forced to pay thousands of pounds compensation after failing to argue in Strasbourg that security in the war zone fell outside the ECHR's remit.

Lawyers for the families say they will not stop there and intend to push for public inquiries at the High Court in London.

The judgment opens the floodgates for more claims and will have repercussions for on going and future conflicts.

"In the exceptional circumstances deriving from the UK's assumption of authority for the maintenance of security in South East Iraq from 1 May 2003 to 28 June 2004, the UK had jurisdiction under Article One of the European Convention on Human Rights in respect of civilians killed during security operations carried out by UK soldiers in Basra," the European Court of Human Rights judgement said.

The court also found the UK guilty of violation of Article Two, right to life, by "a failure to conduct an independent and effective investigation?"?.

The judgment overturns a House of Lords ruling four years ago on the deaths or wrongful detention of six civilians.

The Lords had accepted UK responsibility in a seventh case, the death of hotel receptionist Baha Mousa, under the convention because he was in a British military building in Basra at the time of the alleged brutality.

"The immediate ramifications for the Ministry of Defence are highly significant," Public Interest Lawyers (PIL), which represented relatives of the victims, said in a statement.

"The court's ruling means that a whole host of Iraqi victims, previously prevented from accessing justice, are now finally to seek redress for their abuse."

Jim Duffy, another solicitor in the case, added: "The violence, religious degradation, sexual abuse and, in many cases, gratuitous killing suffered by our clients must now be confronted."

The cases include three victims who were shot dead or fatally wounded by British soldiers, another who died in an exchange of fire, and a fifth victim who was allegedly beaten and forced into a river where, a non-swimmer, he drowned.

Another victim, Hilal Abdul-Razzaq Ali Al-Jedda, 54, who was detained for more than three years before being released without charge, will receive 58,100.

The relatives of the others will receive 59,900 each.

An MoD spokeswoman said: "We are disappointed by these Strasbourg judgments and we will consider them in detail before deciding on our next steps."