Lord of the Dance
Ex-British soldiers to be interviewed by PSNI in relation to Bloody Sunday deaths
News

Ex-British soldiers to be interviewed by PSNI in relation to Bloody Sunday deaths

A GROUP of former British paratroopers are set to be interviewed about their involvement in the Bloody Sunday shootings.

The former military men will be interviewed by the PSNI in England, after successfully blocking a bid to extradite them to Belfast.

The eight men will be questioned under caution at an unspecified date this month in relation to the events on Bloody Sunday, which resulted in the deaths of 13 people – none of whom were deemed to be “posing a threat of causing death or serious injury”.

British troops opened fire on a civilian march in Derry city on January 30, 1972, shooting and killing 13 people.

A 14th person died over four months later from complications relating to his injuries.

A public inquiry into the deaths saw the Saville Report being published in 2010, which laid unequivocal blame with the British Army.

British Prime Minister David Cameron made an historic apology to the victims and their families after it was published.

The PSNI sought to extradite the former paratroopers to the North of Ireland for questioning last year but the group won a legal bid with London’s High Court to prevent it from happening.

Now, PSNI investigators will travel to Britain to carry out the questioning this month.

The landmark first arrest in the PSNI Legacy Unit’s Bloody Sunday investigation came in November of last year, when a Co. Antrim-based former British soldier was arrested and questioned by police.

He was later released.

The PSNI chief constable said the police force will not disclose details of the interviews, as the investigation is live.

READ: Seven things you need to know about Bloody Sunday