Killed soldier's family fear trial will be 'farce'
BBCA man accused of being part of a mob which killed six British soldiers in Iraq more than 20 years ago is due to appear in court in Baghdad.
The military policemen - known as Red Caps - were ambushed by a group of about 400 people who stormed a police station in the town of Majar al-Kabir in 2003.
Alaa Jabbar Khodhair was found guilty of murder in his absence by an Iraqi court last year and the BBC understands in March he handed himself in and challenged the verdict, with a retrial due on 3 May.
Among those killed was Cpl Simon Miller, 21, from Washington, Sunderland, whose father said he feared the trial would be a "complete farce" given the failure of previous prosecutions.
John Miller said: "My son was murdered in the most heinous manner imaginable.
"With respect to the upcoming court case, we have seen similar proceedings before in 2010.
"I fully expect the trial to be a complete farce where witnesses will conveniently appear and claim they didn't see him there, it wasn't him."
In 2010, two Iraqi men were cleared by Baghdad's criminal court due to lack of evidence while a further six who were arrested had charges against them dropped.
The other Red Caps killed in the ambush were Lance Cpl Ben Hyde, 23, from Northallerton, North Yorkshire; Cpl Russell Aston, 30, from Swadlincote, Derbyshire; Sgt Simon Hamilton-Jewell, 41, from Chessington, Surrey; Lance Cpl Tom Keys, 20, from Bala, North Wales and Cpl Paul Long, 24, from Tyne and Wear.
Simon Miller's family said a British government lawyer should represent the interests of the six dead servicemen in the Iraqi court.
MoD Crown Copyright/PAIn a statement, the Ministry of Defence said it wanted to see justice for the deaths.
"The trial is under the jurisdiction of the Iraqi court and while we have local legal representation and have offered support and updates to the families, we do not have an active role in the process.
"Family members are entitled to representation at the trial as the next of kin of the victims. "
