'˜Entirely wrong' for probes to focus on soldiers not IRA - PM

A former Tory minister also said it is “profoundly wrong” that British veterans are being pursued decades after their service while £1 million is paid out to a terrorist.

Former defence minister Sir Julian Brazier hit out at the criminal justice system for its treatment of veterans in Northern Ireland, some of whom are facing investigations for their actions during the Troubles.

Sir Julian compared this to the fate of British Islamic State fighter Abu Zakariya al-Britani, a suicide bomber who previously won a £1 million payout from the Government.

Prime Minister Theresa May said it was “entirely wrong” if Troubles probes focused on soldiers rather than IRA terrorists, adding that she wanted to see a fair and balanced approach taken.

Speaking at Prime Minister’s Questions, Sir Julian said: “Could I put it to her that for many of us, there is something profoundly wrong with a criminal justice system which can pursue veterans who risk their lives for this country 40 years on, long after any possibility of new evidence, while at the same time is capable of paying out £1 million to a terror suspect.”

Mrs May replied: “The overwhelming majority of our armed forces serving in Northern Ireland served with great distinction and we owe them a huge debt of gratitude.

“The situation we have at the moment is that there are cases being pursued against officers who served in Northern Ireland.

“What we want to see as we develop the legacy body under the Stormont House agreement is a proportionate, fair and balanced approach to that.

“We recognise that the majority of individuals who suffered were actually resulted at the hands of terrorists.”

Earlier, Defence Select Committee chairman Julian Lewis had raised similar concerns about the treatment of Northern Ireland veterans.

Mrs May responded: “I think it’s absolutely appalling when people try to make a business out of dragging our brave troops through the courts.

“In the case of Northern Ireland, 90% of deaths were caused by terrorists and it’s essential that the justice system reflects this.

“It would be entirely wrong to treat terrorists more favourably than soldiers or police officers.

“That’s why, as part of our work to bring forward the Stormont House Agreement Bill, we will ensure that investigative bodies are under a legal duty to be fair, balanced and proportionate, so that our veterans are not unfairly treated or disproportionately investigated.”

Mr Lewis said Mrs May’s reply “doesn’t go quite as far as I and many other people would like”.

Mr Lewis called for a statute of limitation to be introduced for actions by soldiers in Northern Ireland prior to the date of the Belfast Agreement, given the lack of prospect for new evidence to come forward.

Mrs May said the issue was being looked at as part of the Stormont House agreement.

She added: “What we’re doing is ensuring that the investigative bodies responsible for looking at deaths during the Troubles will operate in a fair, balanced and proportionate manner.

“We want cases to be considered in chronological order and we want these protections enshrined in legislation.

“We’re going to be consulting fully on these proposals, because we want to make sure that we do get this right.”