Family of Briton shot dead by IDF demands soldier be put on trial

<snip>

"The family of a British cameraman shot dead by an Israel Defense Forces soldier in Gaza met with new Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett Thursday and urged her to press the Israelis to bring charges against those responsible, the family said.

A jury at a London coroner's court ruled in April that James Miller, 34, - who was shot in the neck in the town of Rafah in May 2003 while filming a documentary about the impact of violence on children in the region - was murdered.

After the meeting, which had been scheduled with Beckett's predecessor Jack Straw, Sophy Miller, the cameraman's widow, said the foreign secretary had given assurances that she would be putting renewed pressure on Israel to bring his killer to justice."

<snip>

"The Israeli army officer who fired the deadly shot - a first lieutenant in the Bedouin Desert Reconnaissance Battalion who was commanding the unit at the time of the killing - was cleared by a court martial last year, despite a military court recommendation that harsh disciplinary action be taken against him.

"We now have a verdict in this country of murder, James was killed in cold blood by an Israeli soldier, and we hope that this will speed up the process," added Miller's widow."

http://www.haaretzdaily.com/hasen/spages/715045.html

http://www.justice4jamesmiller.com/

What do you think the chances are that the govt will pressure Israel to lay charges against the soldier? I'm asking coz my first impression was thinking that they'd say one thing to James Miller's family and then not put any pressure on Israel at all, but then again the British govt showed some balls when it came to British citizens being held at Guatanamo and got them all released (which is why David Hicks was granted British citizenship after everyone found out our govt doesn't try to protect us when we get into trouble overseas)...

Violet...

There will be pressure applied of a sort, & I think in this case that there will be charges brought
against the named soldier. The family of the killed film-maker won't settle for anything less, & the
inquest from last month convinced me that there is intent on the part of the UK authorities to
support the family in this instance.


'Beckett to respond to Gaza death

The Foreign Secretary has told the family of a British cameraman murdered in Gaza that she will ask Israel to take action following his death.

James Miller, from Devon, was killed by an Israeli soldier in May 2003.

In a meeting on Thursday, Margaret Beckett told his family she would call for Israel's Foreign Secretary to look into the investigation of the death.

She said she would also urge Israel to look at the responsibility of the soldier who fired the fatal shot.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/devon/4763641.stm

Haaretz might be down temporarily, but I thought I'd mention it...

Violet...

Israel holds a commission of inquiry to look into the failures of the investigation of James's case
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my impression of the brits is rather poor when it comes to their own:

bloody sunday comes to mind...or perhaps more up to date is their own report on the subway bombings..how did the report put it....."no one is to blame, just a lack of resources?"

the relevancy?...israel had an investiation, closed the case....or perhaps israel should follow the english example and say though he is dead, its no ones fault.

:boring:

:eyes: