Veterans’ fury as Corbyn backs putting Bloody Sunday troops in dock
JEREMY Corbyn sparked fury yesterday by saying Northern Ireland veterans should not be granted amnesty.
the Labour leader said a statute of limitations to prevent prosecutions should not apply and ex-soldiers should instead be subject to a ‘fair and proper’ judicial process.
he dismissed claims that men now in their 60s and 70s were being unfairly prosecuted while IRA terrorists walked free after being handed ‘comfort’ letters by tony Blair.
Chelsea Pensioner David Griffin, 78, said: ‘It makes me feel like never again voting for Labour as bad as the tories may be. he doesn’t care about the Armed Forces and I would worry if he did get in.’ Mr Griffin, a former royal Marine, was quizzed seven years ago about a fatal incident in Northern Ireland during the height of the troubles in 1972. he added: ‘they told me they would put my mind at rest in six months. that was seven years ago and I’ve never heard a thing.’
tory MP Mark Francois said: ‘Jeremy Corbyn’s lifelong mates in the IRA already have a statute of limitations, as tony Blair notoriously handed them out letters of comfort which make them effectively immune from prosecution. these people are laughing at us and Corbyn is the fellow traveller.’
Matthew Jury of McCue & Partners, which is representing the families of hyde Park bombing victims, said: ‘Shamefully, Corbyn and co continue to stand by Blair’s outrageous decision to do a backroom deal with the IRA to grant terrorists on the run effective amnesty.
‘If they’re going to demonise and pillory Britain’s veterans, then they must also back not only an unequivocal revocation of the on-the-run letters but a swooping-up of the terrorists themselves to finally face justice.’
Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson is seeking a ten-year statute of limitations which his Interview: Jeremy Corbyn allies say would stop NI veterans being hounded in all but exceptional circumstances.
Asked about a statute of limitations, Mr Corbyn told Sky News: ‘I think the law must apply to everyone, and I don’t think we should have a statute of limitation on this.
‘A fair and proper judicial process must take place but what happened on Bloody Sunday was awful, was appalling. Innocent people did die and that is surely what the whole Saville inquiry explained.’
Mr Corbyn was pressed on whether it was fair that 200 IRA fugitives suspected of crimes were offered an amnesty.
‘Cleansed of their crimes’
he replied: ‘this came out of the Northern Ireland peace process, there’s obviously a case against this soldier concerned and obviously a process will have to take place.
‘But I do think it is important to have the independence of a legal process, and there has to be an insurance that everyone has to abide by the law.
‘the Good Friday Agreement was important, was seminal, and it was complicated, but it does not provide complete immunity for everybody, it was never intended to.’
It was announced on thursday that a former paratrooper known only as Soldier F will be prosecuted over Bloody Sunday. he is one of 17 former members of the 1st Battalion Parachute regiment who were investigated over the violence that left 13 people dead in Londonderry in 1972.
he is now thought to be in his 70s and faces trial for the alleged murders of James Wray and William McKinney.
he is also charged with the attempted murders of Joseph Friel, Michael Quinn, Joe Mahon and Patrick o’Donnell.
Alan Barry, founder of Justice for Northern Ireland Veterans, said: ‘under the terms of the Good Friday Agreement, veterans are being left open to prosecution while terrorists have been cleansed of their past crimes.’