The House of Lords has just ruled that the European Convention on Human Rights applied in Southern Iraq.
The House of Lords has delivered a resounding blow to British conduct in the war in Iraq by ruling that human rights law applies in the case of an Iraqi civilian killed by UK troops.
The law lords decided that the UK was obliged to conduct an independent investigation into the death of Baha Mousa, who died in British custody in Basra in 2003.
In a four to one verdict, the lords ruled that the UK’s obligations under the European Convention on Human Rights applied to the conduct of British troops.
They upheld a court of appeal ruling of December 2005 that the UK authorities had “extra-territorial jurisdiction” concerning Mr Mousa, a 26-year-old hotel worker.
But the families of five other Iraqi civilians killed in different incidents in Basra, who were not being detained, were told their cases were not covered by UK human rights law.
This means that there will finally be accountability for the torture and muder for sport by British soldiers of just one innocent Iraqi .
The others, not so much.
