Pasukan payung British mengambil bahagian dalam
latihan dengan helikopter dari 845 Skuadron Tentera Laut Diraja di bandar Iraq
selatan Basra (British paratroopers
participate in exercises with helicopters from the 845 Royal Navy Squadron in
the southern Iraqi city of Basra (AFP Photo – think IN pictures @1WORLD Community)
JohnnyAdam – ICC
digesa untuk menyiasat jenayah perang ahli politik UK semasa konflik di Iraq. Memberkaskan
memperincikan laporan serangan seksual, penderaan dan hukuman mati olok-olok
dijalankan oleh tentera British di Iraq telah dikemukakan kepada Mahkamah.
Dokumen
250 halaman bertajuk “Tanggungjawab UK Pegawai untuk Jenayah Perang Melibatkan
Penyalahgunaan tahanan sistematik di Iraq dari 2003-2008”, yang diterbitkan
oleh Pusat Eropah berasaskan Jerman untuk Perlembagaan Hak Asasi Manusia ,
panggilan untuk “pembukaan siasatan” ke dalam tindakan pegawai-pegawai kanan
British semasa konflik.
Dokumen
ini menyusun testimoni lebih 400 rakyat Iraq, membentuk “beribu-ribu dakwaan
layanan buruk berjumlah jenayah perang penyeksaan atau kejam, layanan yang
tidak berperikemanusiaan atau menghinakan.” Antara jenayah didokumenkan adalah
per-buatan kejam penderaan fizikal, termasuk “tahanan hooding, kejutan elektrik,
membakar, serangan seksual, penghinaan budaya dan agama, rogol dan pembunuhan
simulasi.”
Memandangkan
skop dan bentuk sistematik jenayah antara tahun 2003 dan 2008, Pusat
Perlembagaan Hak Asasi Manusia meletakkan menyalahkan di kaki “individu di
peringkat tertinggi” tentera UK dan sistem politik. Laporan itu mengatakan
bahawa ahli-ahli kerajaan di United Kingdom sedar, atau sepatutnya sedar, satu
penyalahgunaan yang dilakukan oleh tentera mereka, tetapi walaupun demikian,
gagal untuk bertindak.
“Pegawai
atasan Awam tahu atau sedar kira maklumat yang terhad , yang dengan jelas
menunjukkan bahawa perkhidmatan UK kakitangan telah melakukan jenayah perang di
Iraq,” tulis laporan itu. Ia menonjolkan beberapa ahli politik British mendakwa
kesalahan mereka jenayah perang. Bekas setiausaha pertahanan, Geoff Hoon, dan
ketua tentera, Jeneral Sir Peter Wall, hanya dua daripada ahli-ahli politik
berpangkat tinggi terbabit dalam penyalahgunaan sistematik tahanan Iraq.
Aduan
itu berhujah bahawa “corak rawatan kesat oleh perkhidmatan UK kakitangan di
Iraq terus lebih hampir enam tahun operasi ketenteraan”, seperti yang disebutkan
oleh Bebas pada hari Ahad, dan panggilan untuk siasatan terhadap jenayah perang,
di bawah Perkara 15 Statut Rom.
Kerajaan
UK balas , berkata ia menolak tuntutan “penyeksaan sistematik,” tetapi kesal “nombor
kecil” kes telah berlaku. Dalam kes ini, UK mendakwa langkah-langkah
undang-undang perlu diambil dan keluarga mangsa yang terlibat telah diberi
pampasan sewa-jarnya.
“Perkara-perkara
ini adalah sama ada di bawah siasatan menyeluruh, atau telah diurus-kan melalui
pelbagai cara termasuk melalui Iraq pasukan dakwaan bersejarah, perta-nyaan awam
yang bebas, UK dan mahkamah Eropah dan di Parlimen,” kata seorang jurucakap
kerajaan.
ICC
sebelum ini telah menyatakan “terdapat asas yang munasabah untuk mempercayai
bahawa jenayah dalam bidang kuasa mahkamah telah dilakukan, iaitu pembunuhan
dengan sengaja dan tidak berperikemanusian” oleh tentera British Bagaimanapun,
pen-dakwa berkata jumlah kes - Kira-kira
20 - terlalu sedikit untuk mewajarkan suatu penyia-satan jenayah perang mungkin.
‘Khabar angin tidak
berasas’
Beberapa
tuduhan telah dilontarkan kepada tentera UK mengenai tindakan penyalah-gunaan
semasa pendudukan Iraq. Pegawai-pegawai tentera British menolak dakwaan bahawa
tentera telah dicacatkan mayat pemberontak dan tahanan didera dalam 'Battle Of
Danny Boy' 2004 di selatan Iraq.
Kolonel
Adam Griffith memberitahu pendengaran London pada bulan September bahawa
terdapat "tiada bukti untuk menyokong cadangan ini". Beliau
menyifatkan dakwaan saksi Iraq untuk "kejahilan tentang kecederaan
traumatik yang boleh dialami dalam pertem-puran" mereka dan kempen
memburuk-burukkan terhadap pencerobohan yang diketuai Iraq pada tahun 2003.
‘Systematic torture’: Dossier accusing UK
politicians
of Iraq war crimes goes to ICC
The ICC
has been urged to investigate the alleged war crimes of UK politicians during
the Iraq conflict. A dossier detailing reports of sexual assault, torture and
mock executions carried out by British soldiers in Iraq has been submitted to
the Court.
The
250-page document entitled “The Responsibility of UK Officials for War Crimes
Involving Systematic Detainee Abuse in Iraq from 2003-2008”, published by the
German-based European Centre for Constitutional Human Rights, calls for
"opening of an investigation” into the actions of senior British officials
during the conflict.
The
document compiles testimonies from over 400 Iraqis, constituting “thousands of
allegations of mistreatment amounting to war crimes of torture or cruel,
inhuman or degrading treatment.” Among the documented crimes are brutal acts of
physical abuse, including “hooding prisoners, electric shocks, burning, sexual
assault, cultural and religious humiliation, rape and simulated executions.”
Given
the scope and systematic nature of the crimes between 2003 and 2008, the Centre
for Constitutional Human Rights lays the blame at the feet of “individuals at
the highest levels” of the UK army and political system. The report alleges
that members of the UK government were aware, or should have been aware, of the
abuses being committed by their soldiers, but even so, failed to act.
“Civilian
superiors knew or consciously disregarded information at their disposal, which
clearly indicated that UK services personnel were committing war crimes in
Iraq,” writes the report. It highlights a number of British politicians
alleging their guilt of war crimes. Ex-defense secretary, Geoff Hoon, and army
chief, General Sir Peter Wall, are just two of the high-ranking politicians
implicated in the systematic abuse of Iraqi prisoners.
The
complaint argues that "the pattern of abusive treatment by UK services
personnel in Iraq continued over almost six years of military operations",
as quoted by the Independent on Sunday, and calls for an investigation into the
alleged war crimes, under Article 15 of the Rome Statute.
The UK
government responded, saying it rejected claims of “systematic torture,” but
regretted a “small number” of cases had taken place. In these cases, the UK
claims the necessary legal steps were taken and the families of those affected
were duly compensated.
“These
matters are either under thorough investigation, or have been dealt with
through various means including through the Iraq historic allegations team,
independent public inquiries, the UK and European courts and in parliament,” a
government spokesman said.
The ICC
has previously stated “there was a reasonable basis to believe that crimes
within the jurisdiction of the court had been committed, namely willful killing
and inhuman treatment" by British soldiers. However, prosecutors said the
number of cases – around 20 – was too little to warrant an investigation into
possible war crimes.
‘Baseless rumors’
A number
of accusations have been leveled at the UK military regarding acts of abuse
during the Iraq occupation. British military officials rejected allegations
that soldiers had mutilated the bodies of insurgents and abused detainees in
the 2004 ‘Battle of Danny Boy’ in southern Iraq.
Colonel
Adam Griffith told a London hearing in September that there was “no evidence to
support this proposition”. He attributed the claims of Iraqi witnesses to their
“ignorance as to the traumatic injuries that can be suffered in combat” and a
smear campaign against the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003.
READ MORE: http://on.rt.com/4x04nl
