British Defense Secretary Michael Fallon has announced plans to exempt British soldiers in wartime from legal prosecution under the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) in a new plan that allows the U.K. to free the armed forces of Article 2 and Article 5 of the ECHR before going to battle, in a move that marks the fulfillment of a political promise made by the Conservative Party in last year's general election.
"We've now found several thousand claims lodged against our brave troops for detaining potential terrorists who have been firing at them. [They are] detaining people in Afghanistan or Iraq who are saying they have a right to liberty under the [ECHR]," Fallon said.
The ECHR stipulates that countries may exempt themselves under certain circumstances including wartime.
British Prime Minister Theresa May said Tuesday that the government is taking steps to end an "industry of vexatious claims" like those made against veterans of the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan who have been accused of abusing combatants and prisoners: "We will repay them with gratitude and put an end to the industry of vexatious claims that has pursued those who served in previous conflicts," the British prime minister said.
The government plans to take advantage of its right to suspend articles of the ECHR during wartime as Prime Minister May said this will reduce costs to taxpayers, citing that the Ministry of Defense has spent more than 100 million euros in dealing with Iraq-related inquiries since 2004. The prime minister, who has been critical of ECHR provisions in the past, said U.K. forces will have to adhere to international humanitarian law and the Geneva Conventions.
