ICC drops investigation into allegations of British war crimes in Iraq

The International Criminal Court (ICC) on Wednesday announced that it has decided to formally close the six-year-long inquiry into allegations of war crimes committed by British soldiers in Iraq between 2003 and 2008. The inquiry, which was being carried out by the Office of Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda, had to be closed because no evidence could be found to suggest that the UK authorities deliberately shielded the potential perpetrators. 

"Following a detailed inquiry, and despite the concerns expressed in its report, the Office could not substantiate allegations that the UK investigative and prosecutorial bodies had engaged in shielding, based on a careful scrutiny of the information before it," the report said. 

Read: Australian Defence Chief Vows Action Against Commanders Over Afghanistan War Crimes Report

'Reasonable basis to believe war crimes occurred' 

Nevertheless, Bensouda in her report noted that there is a reasonable basis to believe that members of the British armed forces committed war crimes in Iraq, which included torture, rape, sexual violence, and wilful killing of detainees. Bensouda also noted that the initial response of the British army lacked genuine response to carry out impartial investigations into the allegations. 

Read: Report Of War Crimes In Afghanistan By Australia Special Forces Sparks Outrage

"The institution of public inquiries and the subsequent creation of the Iraq Historic Allegations Team (IHAT) in the UK was a response to the admitted failures of the British army at the time to conduct effective investigations. The Office acknowledges the efforts made by the UK authorities, even if at a later stage, in setting specific mechanisms to address these allegations and the relevant resources placed into investigating the allegations," Bensouda said in her report. 

Read: Ethiopia Tigray Crisis: UN Human Rights Chief Warns 'war Crimes' May Have Happened

The British soldiers were deployed in Iraq as part of NATO troops led by the United States, which invaded the Middle-Eastern country in 2003 to topple Sadam Hussain's dictatorial government. During the course of their stay in the country, several allegations were mounted against the British troops accusing them of being involved in war crimes. The ICC had launched an inquiry into the matter in the subsequent years but later dropped it only to restart the investigation again in 2014. 

Read: Kosovo President Resigns To Face War Crimes Charges