LONDON, 12 May 2004 — Amnesty International accused British soldiers in Iraq yesterday of killing civilians, including an eight-year-old girl and a wedding guest, when they posed no apparent threat.
In a further setback for Prime Minister Tony Blair, London’s High Court ruled yesterday that 12 Iraqi families who allege British troops unlawfully killed their relatives could challenge the government’s refusal to open independent inquiries.
The human rights group said Britain was undermining the rule of law in Iraq by failing to investigate properly the suspected unlawful killings. In a report released amid a storm of allegations about the mistreatment of Iraqi prisoners by American and British forces, Amnesty said the British troops’ actions had breached international human rights standards.
Amnesty said that in total, UK troops had been involved in the killings of at least 37 civilians since May 1 2003, when the war to topple Saddam Hussein officially ended.
It highlighted nine cases in the southern Iraqi areas of Basra and Amara, including those of an eight-year-old girl, Hanan Saleh Matrud, shot dead on Aug. 21, 2003 near her village. An eyewitness told Amnesty Hanan was killed when a soldier aimed at her and fired a shot from around 60 meters away, but the army said she was killed accidentally by a warning shot.
Amnesty also reported the death of Ghanem Kadhem Kati, who was shot outside his home while celebrating a family wedding. It said investigations into the killings, if conducted at all, were shrouded in secrecy and victims’ families had not been given adequate information about how to apply for compensation.
Amnesty also reported on the killings of several civilians during demonstrations, and killings of supporters of Saddam Hussein’s government carried out by armed vigilante groups.
