United Nations now weighs into stormy debate over Troubles amnesty plan

The amnesty (called by the government a “statute of limitations”) was unveiled by NI secretary and senior Tory Brandon Lewis in July, in response to restive backbenchers who objected to the prosecution of soldiers for alleged historic murders.

It is thought that the plan would axe any investigations into all pre-1998 Troubles crimes, whether loyalist, republican, or linked to the state – and this would mean ending criminal probes and civil lawsuits, as well as inquests.

Whilst the Tory Party has enough MPs to force such a measure through at Westminster, in Northern Ireland politicians and victims’ groups have universally panned the idea.

A statement from the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights last night expressed concern at what it called the “blanket impunity” plan.

Its statement said it “forecloses the pursuit of justice and accountability for the serious human rights violations committed during the troubles and thwarts victims’ rights to truth and to an effective remedy for the harm suffered, placing the UK in flagrant violation of its international obligations”.

The statement added “the proposed plan does not seem to include measures for establishing the full extent of the truth about the human rights violations perpetrated during the Troubles, and about the circumstances, reasons and responsibilities that led to them”.

The statement was in the names of two officials – Fabián Salvioli, the “special rapporteur on the promotion of truth, justice, reparation and guarantees of non-recurrence” and Morris Tidball-Binz, “special rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions”.

The UN statement put the number of people injured in the Troubles at 40,000, in addition to the more than 3,500 murders.