JURIST - Paper Chase: Family of deceased Iraqi detainee to sue UK defense ministry

[JURIST] The family of Iraqi hotel receptionist Baha Musa [Herald report], who died while in British military custody in 2003, plans to sue the UK Ministry of Defence (MOD) [official website], according to a family lawyer Wednesday. Solicitor Martyn Day [firm profile] told Reuters that the move was necessary following the dismissal [JURIST report] earlier this year against the seven soldiers [BBC trial timeline] believed to be responsible for his death. Only one of the seven, Corporal David Payne, was convicted on a charge related to Musa's death after pleading guilty [JURIST report] to a charge of inhumane treatment. Payne was sentenced to one year in jail [JURIST report] and became the first convicted UK war criminal from the Iraqi conflict. The MOD told Reuters that it had already accepted responsibility for Musa's death and paid an interim compensation payment to Musa's father.

Musa died in 2003 after suffering 93 injuries, including a broken nose and broken ribs, during 36 hours of detention. Because the surviving detainees were hooded, they could not confirm the identities of the soldiers who caused Musa's death. Reuters has more.

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