It was refreshing to read your nuanced reflection on Phil Shiner (Editorial, 4 February). I met him in London when he doggedly pursued the horrific case of Baha Mousa against all the attempts to cover it up. He struck me as a sincere and honest human rights defender, seeking justice which was necessary. Unfortunately, the hubris of his success led him to commit serious mistakes in the sandstorms of post war Iraq. He has paid a heavy price, personally and professionally. Those soldiers wrongly pursued deserve apologies from Mr Shiner. However, those who seek to use his case to suspend any further inquiries into cases where there is evidence of wrongdoing, cannot be right. Politicians seeking to make the army more unaccountable by an opt-out from the European court of human rights are advocating an indefensible strategy. They should remember that the reparations paid to Kenyan civilians recently for injuries resulting from torture happened mainly because the government then took a decision to exempt the armed forces and the paramilitary units during the emergency in the 1950s.

Saleh Mamon

Carshalton, Surrey

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