Latest news with #militaryjustice
Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE SAS soldiers dramatically cleared of murdering Syria jihadist in battle after two-year legal nightmare
Five SAS soldiers facing murder charges over the death of a known Islamic terrorist in Syria have had their names cleared, the Mail can reveal. After a two-year legal nightmare, the elite troops have been told they will not face a court martial. In a case that provoked fury within the regiment, the 'Blades' as SAS soldiers are known, were accused of using excessive force on the battlefield three years ago. They had pursued the jihadist at night in a rural area after watching a video of him in which he vowed to 'blow up infidels'. In the footage he was seen wearing a suicide vest, which was found near where he was shot dead in pitch darkness. For security reasons, the location and date of the operation cannot be disclosed. Given the circumstances, the troops were shocked to learn later that they were being investigated by the Royal Military Police (RMP). One told colleagues he felt like a 'tethered goat' as RMPs, top brass and lawyers used the incident as a test case. A friend said: 'It takes some believing but the guys have been staring down the barrel of murder trials for shooting a confirmed jihadist in a live battlefield situation. 'How on earth anyone could accuse them of using excessive force in that situation was beyond everyone. 'These guys were put through the wringer so the generals, the Defence Serious Crime Unit and the Service Prosecuting Authority could prove how rigorously they can pursue a prosecution. 'That's fine and dandy for them, but for the soldiers who risked their lives that night to be accused – and to wait so long for justice – that was appalling.' The RMP investigation coincided with a High Court inquiry into allegations of SAS war crimes in Afghanistan. With the judge in that inquiry expected to publish a damning report later this year, there was a rigorous investigation of the Syria case. Files were sent to prosecutors recommending murder charges against the five soldiers. The Service Prosecuting Authority – the military equivalent of the Crown Prosecution Service – then spent 18 months reviewing the case before finally agreeing to clear the soldiers. The saga led rank and file SAS soldiers to accuse their chain of command of 'putting their careers before protecting their soldiers'. The five SAS soldiers involved were part of a cordon around a jihadist compound when the shooting took place. Suspects escaped and the five broke from the cordon and gave chase. They caught the likely suicide bombers, one of whom was seen hiding in a bush. They opened fire in the darkness because they believed the jihadist posed an immediate threat to their lives. But a search of his body confirmed he was not wearing his suicide belt, which was later found in the compound he had bolted from. Today, the Ministry of Defence said: 'Our personnel are respected worldwide and make extraordinary sacrifices in defence of the nation. It's right that we hold them to the highest standards and action is taken where anyone fails to meet them. 'Following thorough investigations and assessments, we can confirm that no charges have been brought forward in these cases.' Tory armed forces spokesman Mark Francois said: 'It is imperative we continue to recognise the outstanding contribution of our Special Forces to UK security and the incredible risks they take. This case highlighted the dangers they face and the difficult split-second decisions they are forced to make against ruthless enemies.'
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Yahoo
Experts say prosecutors did their best under circumstances in Mischa Johnson trial
HONOLULU (KHON2) — Experts say considering the circumstances, military prosecutors did the best they could in the Mischa Johnson murder case. Army soldier sentenced to 23 years in prison for brutal killing of pregnant wife Even though her husband admitted to killing her and their unborn child, there is a chance he could even get out of prison early. Despite the heinous details in the killing of Mischa Johnson, experts say military prosecutors got all the prison time they could for Dewayne Johnson. 'The sentence of 23 years is actually pretty high for the charges he was facing,' said Alexander Silvert, retired federal public defender. Johnson faced a murder charge, but plead guilty to voluntary manslaughter and obstruction of justice. Experts say there are two critical components to proving murder, intent and evidence. 'I know in this particular case, there's no body,' said retired Col. Mark Bridges, former military judge/JAG corps. 'They're probably, to my knowledge, there were no other witnesses about what occurred. And so the government's in a bit of a quandary there.''Evidence is key,' said Silvert. 'What can you prove? And so the government here took the evidence they had, made the best deal they had.' So even though Johnson admitted he dismembered Mischa's body and threw it in a dumpster, and even though prosecutors showed he contacted 18 women on a dating app days after the killing, experts say that is irrelevant in regards to intent. 'All of that indicates he's certainly not a good person, not a nice person, but all that doesn't indicate that he killed his wife,' said Silvert. 'It would indicate to a jury, I think, if it argued correctly, simply that the marriage was dissolving. It was a bad marriage. He knew they were going to separate. So he was making other arrangements and moving on with his life.' Johnson could also be out earlier. Experts add that in some cases, the accused is released early for 'good time,' usually shaving up to a third off their sentence. They could also be eligible for parole. 'Parole is never a definite thing,' said Bridges. 'So they'll look at the facts and circumstances of what happened in this case. And the parole authority will have to decide whether parole is appropriate. So it's never an automatic thing.' Download the free KHON2 app for iOS or Android to stay informed on the latest news A guilty verdict is also not guaranteed. So experts say coming to a plea agreement might not please all, but is important for closure and a sense of peace for the victim's family. 'The family at this moment, not all of them may feel that way, but I think over time, it will prove out that psychologically, it was really good to find out what happened,' said Silvert. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
BBC News
7 days ago
- Health
- BBC News
Jaysley Beck's mum: 'My daughter being silenced helps others find voice'
The mother of a soldier who took her own life after being sexually assaulted in the Army says other survivors have come to her with "heartbreaking" Artillery Gunner Jaysley Beck, 19, was found dead in her barracks at Larkhill Camp in Wiltshire on 15 December 2021 after a Christmas party.A coroner ruled the Army's failure to take action - after Gunner Beck was harassed by her line manager and sexually assaulted by another colleague - contributed to her McCready said: "Jaysley's voice being silenced has given others the strength to find theirs. That means everything to us." The coroner said the fact the soldier had also been sexually assaulted by another senior colleague, and the Army's failure to take appropriate action, "more than minimally" contributed to Ms Beck's death."It's been very difficult since the inquest," Ms McCready told Stephanie Finnon from BBC Radio Cumbria. Brig Melissa Emmett, head of the Army personnel services group, formally accepted failures were made and previously apologised to Gunner Beck's grieving said "significant changes" had been made within the Army, including the "introduction of clear and unequivocal policies to state that there will be zero tolerance to unacceptable sexual behaviours".But Ms McCready said the apology was not issued personally to her, but she "heard the words on Sky News"."It still doesn't resonate with me. "I thought we'd hear more in regards to the outcome but what I can say that there is a lot more going on in the background, which for legal reasons, I'm not allowed to disclose. "To have faced the abuser, and for him to just say 'no comment, no comment' throughout was difficult for us to listen to a family," Ms McCready, who is from Oxen Park, continued. "It proved what we said from day one. We said it wasn't right, we weren't listened to and it's taken four years for them to say 'we've failed Jaysley Beck'."The Army are trying to make changes, very much too late in all honesty. "The service personnel are still feeling let down by the system in the Army." Ms McCready said since her daughter's story had been shared, "so many people have reached out to us and shared their experience of sexual harassment and assault... it's really heartbreaking. "Jaysley's voice being silenced has given others the strength to find theirs."That means everything to us. "We take comfort in knowing that through her, others are being to speak up and feel seen." Ms McCready and 24 of her daughter's friends and family were raising money for the Centre for Military Justice, she said the group was doing a sky dive "as a stand against the silence that cost my daughter her life"."We won't stop until changes happen," she added. "If my 19-year-old daughter - who was in constant contact with us - was saying there was nowhere else to turn because within the Army you had to go through your chain of command. "We're trying to make changes so the Army cannot mark its own homework." If you've been affected by any of the issues in this story you can find help and support via BBC Action Line here. Follow BBC Cumbria on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.
New York Times
03-06-2025
- General
- New York Times
France Moves to Atone by Elevating Alfred Dreyfus as Antisemitism Spreads
For Alfred Dreyfus, the Jewish army captain arrested in 1894 on false espionage charges that were a reflection of virulent antisemitism in the French military, reparations have been a long time coming. The French National Assembly, or lower house of Parliament, took a big step in that direction on Monday when it voted unanimously to promote Dreyfus, who was publicly stripped of his rank and sentenced to life imprisonment, to the rank of brigadier general. It was an apparent acknowledgment that, after more than 130 years and at a time of repeated desecrations of Jewish sites in France, the Republic's atonement had been incomplete. The Senate must still vote for the bill to become law, but it is expected to pass with a large majority. 'We are very happy and moved,' Michel Dreyfus, the great-grandson of the officer, told RTL radio. 'He was rehabilitated judicially but never militarily, a wound that led him to leave the army.' Gabriel Attal, the centrist former prime minister who authored the bill, wrote last month, 'Accused, humiliated and condemned because he was Jewish, Alfred Dreyfus was dismissed from the army, imprisoned and exiled to Devil's Island,' a reference to a penal colony in French Guiana. Mr. Attal said the promotion would be 'a recognition of his merits, and a tribute to his commitment to the Republic.' The Dreyfus case split France down the middle, exposing divisions that had been festering since the Revolution a century earlier. A traditional Roman Catholic France strongly represented in the armed forces clashed with the ardent, secular believers in a Republic that had emancipated the Jews and that was constituted not by God but by the will of its equal citizens. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
BreakingNews.ie
28-05-2025
- General
- BreakingNews.ie
Whistleblower who exposed war crime allegations loses bid to reduce prison time
Australian army whistleblower David McBride, who leaked allegations of Australian war crimes in Afghanistan to the media, lost a court bid to have his prison sentence reduced on Wednesday. The Australian Capital Territory Court of Appeal rejected the 61-year-old former army lawyer's appeal against the severity of a five-year and eight-month prison sentence imposed a year ago. Advertisement Mr McBride said through his lawyers that Australians would be outraged by the Court of Appeal decision. Mr McBride had argued that he leaked the documents out of a sworn duty to act in the public interest. 'It is my own conscience and the people of Australia that I answer to. I have kept my oath to the Australian people,' Mr McBride said in the lawyers' statement. Mr McBride's lawyers said they would take their appeal to the High Court (AP/Rod McGuirk) Mr McBride pleaded guilty last year to three charges, including theft and sharing with journalists documents classified as secret. He faced a potential life sentence. Advertisement Rights advocates complain that Mr McBride remains the only person to be imprisoned over allegations of war crimes committed by elite Australian special forces troops in Afghanistan between 2005 and 2016. A military report released in 2020 recommended 19 current and former soldiers face criminal investigations over 39 unlawful killings in Afghanistan. Former Special Air Service (SAS) Regiment soldier Oliver Schulz was charged in March 2023 with murdering an unarmed Afghan in 2012. Mr Schulz pleaded not guilty to the war crime and has yet to stand trial. Former SAS Corporal Ben Roberts-Smith, Australia's most decorated living veteran, lost an appeal two weeks ago against a civil court ruling that he unlawfully killed four unarmed Afghans. Advertisement Mr Roberts-Smith said he would appeal his loss in the High Court. He has not been criminally charged. Mr McBride's lawyers also said they would take their appeal to the High Court. 'We believe that only the High Court can properly grapple with the immense public interest and constitutional issues at the heart of this case,' the lawyers' statement said. 'It cannot be a crime to expose a crime. It cannot be illegal to tell the truth,' the statement added. Advertisement The lawyers also called on attorney general Michelle Rowland, who was appointed after the Labor Party government was re-elected on May 3, to recommend Mr McBride be pardoned. 'It is now time for the attorney general to show leadership. To show Australians that this Labor government will no longer jail whistleblowers,' the lawyers said. Ms Rowland did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Wednesday. The documents became the source of a series of Australian Broadcasting Corporation reports in 2017 called the Afghan Files. Advertisement The reports detailed allegations against Australian soldiers, including the unlawful killing of men and children. Mr McBride sought to fight the charges, but the court would not allow his defence that he had had a sworn duty as a military officer to act in the public interest. The Court of Appeal will publish reasons for its decision at a later date. Mr McBride can be considered for parole after he has served two years and three months, meaning he must remain behind bars until at least August next year.
