Nearly 400 suspected war criminals living as ‘free birds’ in Britain
By ANISaturday, February 5, 2011
LONDON - Hundreds of suspected war criminals are living in Britain, despite recommendations by a UK Border Agency unit that action be taken against them.
According to the Guardian, the unit has recommended action against 495 individuals in the last five years believed to have taken part in torture, genocide, crimes against humanity or other war crimes.
However, only a fifth have been refused entry, removed or have left voluntarily, leaving 383 suspects at large.he 383 suspects include 105 from Iraq, 75 from Afghanistan, 73 from Sri Lanka, 39 from Rwanda, 32 from Zimbabwe and 26 from the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The 105 suspects from Iraq reportedly include senior officials from former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein’s regime.
Earlier, last year, then-Secretary of State for Justice Jack Straw had introduced a law to enable more domestic prosecutions of suspected war criminals. It allowed suspects to be brought to trial for alleged crimes dating back to 1991.
However, the Metropolitan police said that despite the law not a single case has been prosecuted and no suspected war criminal is under investigation. (ANI)
