Father of child killed in Iraq massacre says Trump’s Blackwater pardons ‘broke my life again’ Josh Marcus
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Donald Trump’s decision to pardon four former private security contractors involved in a 2007 massacre in Baghdad “broke my life again,” Mohammed Kinani, a US-Iraqi dual citizen whose son was killed, told the BBC. He broke the law. He broke everything. He broke the court. He broke the judge, Mr Kinani said. Before [this] I felt that no-one [was] above the law.
On Tuesday, the president pardoned Nicholas Slatten, Paul Slough, Evan Liberty and Dustin Heard, former contractors at the private security firm Blackwater who were in jail for killing at least 14 Iraqi civilians after firing heavy weapons into Baghdad’s busy Nisoor Square in 2007 while guarding an American diplomatic convoy.
Explained: Why Trump’s pardon to Blackwater contractors is controversial
In the weeks leading up to his exit from the White House, President Donald Trump has issued a slew of controversial pardons. Who are the Blackwater contractors, and why were they jailed for the Nisour Square massacre in Iraq? Written by Rahel Philipose , Edited by Explained Desk | Vasco | Updated: December 24, 2020 4:17:53 pm
From left: Dustin Heard, Evan Liberty, Nicholas Slatten and Paul Slough.(AP Photo/File)
US President Donald Trump has
pardoned four former security guards from the private military firm Blackwater who were serving long jail terms for killing 14 Iraqi civilians, including two children, during the infamous 2007 Nisour Square massacre in Baghdad.
UN criticises Trump s pardons for Blackwater guards
By IANS |
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Thu, Dec 24 2020 5:36 IST |
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Unforgettable moments 2020: Bible, tear gas star in Trump s most awkward photo-op. Image Source: IANS News
United Nations, Dec 24 : The UN has sharply criticised President Donald Trump s decision to pardon four former Blackwater contractors jailed over the killing of 14 Iraqi civilians.
Nicholas Slatten, Paul Slough, Evan Liberty and Dustin Heard opened fire in Baghdad s Nisoor Square in 2007 while guarding an American diplomatic convoy.
The UN Human Rights Office warned that the pardons would serve to embolden others to commit similar crimes, the BBC reported on Wednesday.
Donald Trump has pardoned four former private security contractors who were convicted of killing more than a dozen Iraqi civilians in Baghdad in 2007.
His action prompted jubilation among supporters of the men, who had maintained their innocence, and outrage among Iraqis. Mohammed Kinani, whose nine-year-old son Ali died, said: “I don’t know how this is allowed. God will not let them go.”
The contractors, who worked for Blackwater, were jailed following a trial in the US after at least 14 Iraqi civilians were left dead in Baghdad’s Nisour Square. It led to an international uproar over the use of private security guards in war zones.
UN criticises Donald Trump s pardons for Blackwater guards Updated Dec 24, 2020 | 07:44 IST
The UN Human Rights Office warned that the pardons would serve to embolden others to commit similar crimes, the BBC reported on Wednesday. US President Donald Trump | Photo Credit: PTI
United Nations: The UN has sharply criticised President Donald Trump s decision to pardon four former Blackwater contractors jailed over the killing of 14 Iraqi civilians.
Nicholas Slatten, Paul Slough, Evan Liberty and Dustin Heard opened fire in Baghdad s Nisoor Square in 2007 while guarding an American diplomatic convoy.
The UN Human Rights Office warned that the pardons would serve to embolden others to commit similar crimes, the BBC reported on Wednesday.