The High Court in London has been told that the soldiers who fired their weapons on Bloody Sunday still risk reprisal attacks and that their identities should not be revealed. Seventeen soldiers went to court today to overturn a ruling by the chairman of the inquiry into the 1972 killings that their names should be published when they give evidence to the tribunal.
Lord Saville has decided that former soldiers, who will be giving evidence to his Bloody Sunday inquiry, should be identified by name when doing so and should not remain anonymous. The soldiers all fired live rounds on Bloody Sunday. Today, the seventeen men asked the High Court in London to overturn Lord Saville's ruling.
Their barrister, Sydney Kentridge QC, told the three judges that the British security services had assessed the risk against the men as moderate. Moderate risk, Mr. Kentridge explained, was half way up a six-point scale of risk assessment. Michael Mansfield QC, who is representing the families of the Bloody Sunday victims, told that the court a sustained newspaper campaign in Britain aimed at preventing the former soldiers being named in public was impeding justice.
The judges say they will examine the newspaper articles later for possible contempt of court. Sixteen of the seventeen soldiers represented today have now retired. All but three of them were members of the Parachute Regiment. Their case continues tomorrow.
