This footage depicted large numbers of dead people who appeared to be "civilians or unarmed people, lying in pools of blood, and it is quite apparent that they had been killed recently.
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Trigger warning: This article discusses sensitive topics including terrorism and violence
Two British army soldiers have been dismissed for sending and sharing footage of Hamas murdering and desecrating bodies on October 7, 2023, according to a transcript from a July 4 Bulford Military Court Martial obtained by the Jerusalem Post on Tuesday.
Signaller Zakariya Munir (22) and Signaller Mohammed Salah (34) of the 10th Signal Regiment were sentenced for offences contrary to section 127 of the Communications Act 2003, which, despite mitigating circumstances, led to the ultimate dismissal.
According to the presiding judge, the offences were committed on or in the month that followed October 8, 2023.
On October 7 itself - the date of the Hamas attack on Israel - the two shared messages that the judge found were not sinister. However, on the following day, October 8, Signaller Munir contacted Signaller Salah, saying he had a video of the attack that “they won’t show in the news."
Signaller Munir then sent Signaller Salah a "headcam footage of faces and bodies of corpses of soldiers being searched for ammunition and bodies being kicked."
Later in the evening of October 8, Signaller Munir asked Signaller Salah if he wanted to see another video, which he referred to as “a bit graphic," to which Signaller Salah replied, “Yes”.
This footage depicted large numbers of dead people who appeared to be "civilians or unarmed people, lying in pools of blood, and it is quite apparent that they had been killed recently.
Again, sometime during the month that followed, Signaller Salah decided to send this on to other people.
Then on October 16, Signaller Munir sent another video to Signaller Salah, showing a group of young males urinating on, stamping on, and kicking corpses of what looked like older men, whose heads have been bagged and whose hands have been tied. This was then shared by Signaller Salah.
Finally, on October 31, 2023, Signaller Munir sent another video to Signaller Salah showing a number of men kneeling down in front of a number of men with guns, and each man standing behind the kneeling man shot that man in the back of the head, killing him.
Judge says videos were 'grossly offensive'
The Judge Advocate called it a "deeply shocking video."This time, Signaller Salah did not send this video on and actually reported the matter.
Summarising the offense, the judge said Signaller Munir sent a series of videos which were, in legal terms, "grossly offensive."
"They showed offences where people had been killed and their bodies were being violated. It is highly likely that those who were responsible for the killings had committed the offence of murder or related war crimes. The last video sent by Signaller Munir to Signaller Salah, but not forwarded, showed people being murdered and people committing the offence of murder."
The judge noted that both were serving soldiers in the British Army, and that when they signed up they also agreed to maintain "the set of values and standards which service personnel adhere to."
"Although you were private soldiers, there was every opportunity for you to seek advice from your chain of command about what to do with this material once you had received it," the judge addressed the two. "Yet you, Signaller Munir, chose to distribute it further to Signaller Salah, and he distributed it further within the British Army community and outside the Army."
The judge compared the case to service personnel who may distribute images of children being sexually abused, saying that the level of seriousness will inevitably lead to the dismissal from the Armed Forces.
Although this particular case is "very different," the judge noted that it is "inconceivable to conclude that the distribution of material in this case is not serious enough to warrant dismissal."
Notably, both men pleaded not guilty.
If they had pled guilty, Signaller Munir may "have a productive military career ahead of you, as suggested by your CO [commanding officer], we have to punish you for what you did."
Signaller Salah and his family live in the married quarters and rely on his income. The judge noted that his dismissal would have a significant impact on him and his family, as he will have to seek out other accommodation and employment. Nevertheless, the judge told him "the mitigation which your personal circumstances provide, in the absence of any credit for a guilty plea, I am afraid, does not prevent us from dismissing you."
The trial concluded with no objections from counsel.
Mathilda Heller
Source: https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/antisemitism/article-861128
1 comment:
In defense of the first amendment and to show the UK what they're missing I sought out those videos and posted them on social media again
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