§ Mr. DalyellTo ask the Prime Minister pursuant to his oral answer of 4 June 2003Official Report, column 156, what process will be used in the trials of senior Iraqi figures, with particular reference to Mr. Tariq Aziz; and when he expects such trials to take place. [118592]
§ The Prime MinisterWe have always believed that those who have been responsible for genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes in Iraq should be brought to justice. No decisions have yet been taken on how this should be pursued. It should be for the Iraqi people to decide what action to take, with suitable international help.
A team of coalition specialists has started assessing the situation on the ground, listening to the wishes of the Iraqi people and making recommendations for future action. UK forces have been tasked with securing and protecting evidence to hand over to the relevant prosecuting authorities at the appropriate time. The UK sent a team of none forsensic experts to Iraq on 21 May 2003, to investigate war crimes and mass graves.