Lawyers file 550 new Iraqi torture cases against British soldiers
19:55, 25 April 2015
By Sean Rayment
The abuse claims will be probed by the Iraq Historical Allegations Team but it won't complete its investigation until 2019
Allegations: Lawyers have filed 550 new cases against British troops who served in Iraq
Lawyers blasted for their part in a costly public inquiry into false torture claims against British troops by Iraqi detainees have filed 550 new cases.
Papers lodged by Public Interest Lawyers, led by Phil Shiner, will be probed by the Iraq Historical Allegations Team.
But the increased caseload means IHAT’s work will not now be completed until 2019, the Sunday People can reveal.
Last year after the five-year £31million Al-Sweady inquiry rejected the claims, Defence Secretary Michael Fallon called the lawyers’ work a “shameful attempt to use our legal system to attack and falsely impugn our Armed Forces”.
And David Cameron last month vowed to sue PIL to recoup taxpayers’ cash spent defending the cases.
A PIL spokesman said: “IHAT has not advised PIL the outcome of its investigations. It is premature to comment on what steps PIL may need to take in the future.”
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/lawyers-file-550-new-iraqi-5583653
