Now 18 British soldiers could be charged over Bloody Sunday

‘Pursued for political reasons’

EIGHTEEN soldiers could be charged over their alleged involvement in Bloody Sunday, it emerged last night.

Some may even be put on trial for perjury, according to official correspondence.

Thirteen people were shot dead when members of the Parachute Regiment opened fire on civil rights demonstrators in Londonderry in 1972. Another died later.

The Police Service of Northern Ireland launched a murder probe in 2010 after a 12-year inquiry by judge Lord Saville concluded the killings were ‘unjustified and unjustifiable’.

Then prime minister David Cameron issued a public apology for the actions of the soldiers, also describing the deaths as ‘unjustified and unjustifiable’.

Amid claims of a politically motivated witch-hunt, the fresh police probe sparked outrage within the 1st Battalion, Parachute Regiment, which was deployed during the Bloody Sunday riots.

Police submitted a file of evidence to the Public Prosecution Service in Northern Ireland late last year.

Last night the BBC said it had obtained a letter from a senior public prosecutor detailing the criminal charges the soldiers could face.

These include murder and attempted murder, wounding, perjury (lying under oath) and ‘joint enterprise’ – where two or more people are involved.

In the correspondence from the PPS, the identities of the 18 soldiers facing possible charges are withheld, but all are said to be British. It reveals four other soldiers, whose actions on Bloody Sunday formed part of the murder probe, have since died.

The PPS said it was actively considering Bloody Sunday investigation files it received in December, but had not yet taken a decision on possible prosecutions.

A spokesman said: ‘It is likely to be some time before any decision. We have recently made contact with families to provide an update on progress and also to explain our role and some of the legal issues that require consideration.’

Detective Chief Inspector Ian Harrison, of the PSNI Leg- acy Investigation Branch, confirmed the families had been informed. John Kelly’s brother Michael was among those killed and he met prosecutors recently. He said: ‘The PPS is investigating 18 soldiers.’

In November 2015, it was reported that British paratroopers could lose their anonymity if they are charged with the murder of civil rights campaigners on Bloody Sunday.

Every soldier who fired a shot during the events in Londonderry over 40 years ago has had their identity hidden amid fears they could be the target of terrorist reprisals.

The names were kept secret after a campaign led by the Daily Mail, supported by politicians, military figures and more than 200,000 readers.

Lieutenant Colonel Derek Wilford, who commanded the Paras on Bloody Sunday, vowed to go to jail in contempt of the Government-led inquiry into the 14 deaths if his men were named.

The possibility they could lose anonymity followed the arrest of a former paratrooper on suspicion of murdering three civil rights protesters on Bloody Sunday. The 66-yearold was detained and later released on bail.

After the arrest, solicitors acting for the ex-soldiers applied for a judicial review of the way the PSNI is conducting its inquiry. They questioned its legality and claimed the probe was being pursued for ‘political reasons’.

The official Army position, backed by the Government, claimed paratroopers reacted to gun and nail bomb attacks by suspected IRA members.