…as dozens more may be quizzed because of human rights laws

INVESTIGATORS could launch six more inquiries into alleged unlawful deaths in Iraq involving British troops because of human-rights laws.

Eight inquest-style probes have already been launched at a cost of about £200,000 each – but now defence officials are set to sign off another six.

Dozens of soldiers already quizzed by the controversial Iraq Historical Allegations Team (Ihat) could be dragged before a judge – and those who refuse may be charged with contempt of court.

Officials had been passed 78 claims of unlawful deaths thrown out by Ihat to decide if they need to offer families in Iraq an inquest-style inquiry by the Iraq Fatality Investigations (IFI) unit.

Some of the claims involved incidents where British soldiers were not believed to have even been present.

Ministry of Defence officials ruled 70 cases of deaths did not have to be reopened to meet requirements set out by the European Court of Human Rights.

This left eight cases which have already been passed on to the IFI unit, led by retired judge Sir George Newman. Six of them have been completed.

Around 350 alleged unlawful deaths were passed to Ihat to investigate, many of them cases taken on by disgraced solicitor Phil Shiner, who has since been struck off.

It is not clear how many of those deaths have already been looked at as part of the 70 incidents ruled out by the MoD. In 2014 then-defence secretary Philip Hammond told MPs he had signed off as many as 11 cases to be investigated by the IFI.

But Ministry of Defence estimates put the figure as being as high as 14, which means six more cases could be added.

The IFI cannot be shut down because to do so would put Britain in breach of the ECHR, it is understood.

Former defence minister Andrew Murrison said: ‘It’s just not fair to subject brave men and women to repeated legal challenges, inquiries and investigations.

‘It’s beginning to look like a witch-hunt and will certainly put good people off joining and staying in the Army.’

Former sergeant Brian Wood, who was handed a Military Cross for courage under fire in Iraq then falsely accused of wrongdoing by lawyers, said it was a ‘betrayal’.