British Army Colonel Faces War Crimes Inquiry After Iraqi's Death

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British Army colonel faces war crimes inquiry after Iraqi's death
By Julie Henry
(Filed: 22/05/2005)

A British Army commander is being investigated for alleged war crimes following the death of an Iraqi civilian.

Colonel Jorge Mendonca, who was awarded the Distinguished Service Order after the Iraq war, was the officer in command of the Queen's Lancashire Regiment when it arrested Baha Mousa, a hotel receptionist from Basra, in September 2003. Two days later, he was found dead in custody after apparently having suffered a brutal beating.

After a 10-month inquiry, a file on the case has been passed to the Army Prosecuting Authority (the military equivalent of the Crown Prosecution Service) which will consider whether there is enough evidence to bring a court martial against Col Mendonca and his colleagues. The Colonel could become the first serving officer to be court-martialled over claims that prisoners were abused during the conflict. If convicted, the 41-year-old, faces jail and being stripped of his DSO.

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