British militants in Iraq risk treason charges
British Muslims who take up arms against UK and US forces in Iraq could face treason charges on their return, the Home Office said today.
The warning was prompted by a Guardian report that two Britons had travelled from their homes in London to join the Mahdi army, a militia loyal to the radical Shia cleric Moqtada al-Sadr. The men arrived in Najaf, where fierce fighting has been raging for seven days, earlier this week.
A spokesman for the Muslim Council of Britain today said he expected the men would not be the only two Britons to take up arms against US-led forces in Iraq.
A Home Office spokesman said British citizens or residents considering joining the militia should be aware that anyone taking up arms against a British soldier or US-led forces could be prosecuted for treason. The maximum sentence would be life imprisonment
British Muslims who take up arms against UK and US forces in Iraq could face treason charges on their return, the Home Office said today.
The warning was prompted by a Guardian report that two Britons had travelled from their homes in London to join the Mahdi army, a militia loyal to the radical Shia cleric Moqtada al-Sadr. The men arrived in Najaf, where fierce fighting has been raging for seven days, earlier this week.
A spokesman for the Muslim Council of Britain today said he expected the men would not be the only two Britons to take up arms against US-led forces in Iraq.
A Home Office spokesman said British citizens or residents considering joining the militia should be aware that anyone taking up arms against a British soldier or US-led forces could be prosecuted for treason. The maximum sentence would be life imprisonment
posted by Aki at
2:09 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home