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Ireland urges the UK not to block the “Problems” prosecution of the new Conflicts

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The Irish government is “extremely concerned” by reports that London is preparing to prevent prosecutions in the wake of the decades-long conflict in Northern Ireland.

The Irish government has said it is “very concerned” that the UK will end its historic trials unilaterally for crimes committed during a bloody sectarian conflict in Northern Ireland.

The Daily Telegraph reported on Wednesday that British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will introduce a law next week on The Troubles banning the prosecution of veterans in the UK, which ended with a major 1998 peace deal.

He would complain that it would apply to paramilitaries and UK troops and prevent him from reporting incidents that took place in Northern Ireland before the Good Friday Agreement was signed, except in cases of war crimes, genocide or torture.

Dublin quickly denounced the plan, and Deputy Prime Minister Leo Varadkar said on Thursday that the minister was “very overwhelmed” by the idea and would not accept such a move.

“Anyone like that should have the consent of the parties in Northern Ireland and that is something we would not accept as a government because we are on the side of the victims. They have a right to justice,” Varadkar said in the Irish parliament.

He added that the plan would also violate the 2014 agreement between the parties in Dublin, London and Northern Ireland, which sought to address the heritage issues of the issue by creating an independent investigation unit to re-examine all unsolved killings.

Varadkar received comments in response on Thursday from Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney, who said Dublin was opposed to a “unilateral act on heritage”.

“Victims and I [Northern Ireland] it must be a priority, the only priority! “Coveney tweeted.

Overall, more than 3,600 people were killed, mostly in the fight for Catholic nationalists and the majority Protestant or loyalist trade unions in the UK, and allegations of unresolved crimes are still debated.

‘Cynical movement’

A spokesman for Johnson’s government told AFP news agency that he has “clear goals” to address The Troubles ’legacy to veterans who worked in Northern Ireland in fulfilling the Prime Minister’s 2019 election commitments.

During the campaign, Johnson pledged to end “aggravating” trials against the British military.

“We want to look at the past in Northern Irish society rather than looking back,” the spokesperson said.

They added that “it is clear to everyone that the current system for dealing with the legacy of problems does not work for anyone.”

Northern Ireland Deputy Prime Minister Michelle O’Neill, an Irish nationalist Sinn Fein party, along with former enemies of the UK-led government that shares power, said the ban on prosecution was “a cynical move that would put scientific force beyond British forces”.

The SDLP nationalist party also said they would go against the legislation.

Prohibition of prosecutions could increase tensions in the region, where the loyal youth rebelled in recent weeks, partly due to post-Brexit trade barriers, they have been cut off from the rest of the UK.

Various proceedings are underway against British veterans deployed in Northern Ireland.

On Tuesday, the murder trial of two former British soldiers accused of shooting an Irish Republican Army commander was dropped due to lack of evidence.

A separate trial against a soldier accused of killing unarmed Catholic civil rights marches in 1972 has been disbanded in 1972 when British paratroopers fired on the group on what is known as “Bloody Sunday”.



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