THERE can be no immunity of impunity for British soldiers guilty of crimes in Ireland, Sinn Féin Justice Spokesperson Raymond McCartney has said.
The Foyle MLA was commenting after a former British military chief warned against prosecuting soldiers for their actions on Bloody Sunday.
With a decision due on prosecutions this Thursday, March 14, Lord Ramsbothan, who was military assistant to the British Army’s Chief of General Staff at the time of the massacre, said putting ex-soldiers on trial ‘would set a dangerous precedent’.
Raymond McCartney commented: “These comments are yet another attempt by figures within the British establishment to influence the due process of law, specifically in relation to Bloody Sunday prosecutions and more generally in relation to the wider legacy process.
“We have heard similar outbursts from the British Secretary of State Karen Bradley and her Prime Minister Theresa May who repeatedly and falsely claim that legacy investigations are unfairly weighted against State forces.
“The British Government’s intent is about protecting British soldiers who were responsible for killing Irish citizens and who colluded with loyalist death squads throughout the conflict.
“That is completely unacceptable.
“There can be no immunity of impunity for British soldiers guilty of crimes in Ireland. No legislation that puts them above the law and no deviation from the legacy mechanisms agreed at Stormont House five years ago.
“These mechanisms need to be enacted and the Stormont House Agreement implemented as the only way to deal with the legacy issue,” added the Foyle MLA.
