ANTI-WAR campaigners have slammed a decision by international prosecutors to abandon a long-running inquiry into alleged British war crimes in Iraq, despite a “reasonable basis” to believe that atrocities had been committed.

On Wednesday the International Criminal Court (ICC)’s Fatou Bensouda said no full-scale investigation would take place into offences committed by British military personnel and the case would now be closed. 

The report confirmed that there was a “reasonable basis to believe” members of the armed forces committed a number of war crimes – including wilful killing, torture, inhuman and cruel treatment, outrages upon personal dignity, rape and other forms of sexual violence.

But the ICC can only intervene when it finds that a state is unable or unwilling to take action against alleged atrocities, with the report discovering that British authorities had not attempted to “shield” or block inquiries. 

The decision has been met with anger from human rights activists, who questioned whether investigators had been pressured into its decision, pointing out that the ICC had been under fire for opening a full investigation into war crimes allegedly committed by US troops in Afghanistan.

They also pointed to Australia, where 19 current and former soldiers are facing potential criminal prosecution linked to the death of 39 unarmed prisoners and civilians in Afghanistan.

Stop the War coalition convenor Lindsey German said: “If the accusations are to be believed, yet again the major imperialist powers are getting away with murder, torture and rape committed in the course of their catastrophic wars and occupations. 

“In any case, the only way to find out is to allow prosecutions where there is evidence in order to decide. The decision makes a travesty of international law.”

Members of the Peace Pledge Union (PPU) have also questioned the inquiry’s outcome and called for the British government to withdraw the Overseas Operations Bill, which will make it even less likely that armed forces personnel will face prosecution for war crimes.

PPU campaigns manager Symon Hill said: “The investigation into British troops has been closed because of a quirk of procedure.

“Far from exonerating the British armed forces, the ICC has today stated that there is substantial evidence of war crimes by British personnel, including unlawful killing, rape, torture and inhumane treatment of prisoners.”