1 Veteran Of British Soldiers Dragged To Green Table Of The 1972 Irish Demonstrators Massacre Case

JAKARTA - The only British soldier with the initials "Private F" was tried in the 'Bloody Week 1972' massacre in Northern Ireland.

The defendant is accused of involvement in a murder case also known as the three decades of "The Troubles" sectarian violence in Ireland. The incident occurred when British troops opened fire on unarmed civil rights demonstrators in Londonderry on January 30, 1972.

The former kopral paratroopers attended a hearing in Belfast on Monday local time behind the blue curtain.

Meanwhile, the families of the victims of the 13 people who were killed and 15 people injured in the incident were also present in the courtroom.

"Civilities ... pose no threat to the soldiers, and the soldiers do not believe they are indeed threatening," prosecutor Louis Mably said in a statement opening at Belfast High Court, quoted by AFP.

"Civil residents were unarmed and they were simply shot while fleeing," he continued.

The defendant, who is a veteran of the British Army, pleaded not guilty to two counts of murder and five counts of attempted murder in the deadliest shooting in a prolonged conflict between united Irish supporters, most of whom are Catholics, and Protestant-dominated troops who wish to remain part of the United Kingdom.

Although the conflict largely ended with the 1998 Good Friday peace agreement, which created a system for Republicans and Unionis to share power in Northern Ireland, tensions remain.

Families of killed civilians continue to demand justice, and supporters of veterans of the British Army complain that their losses have been underestimated and they have been subjected to unfair investigations.

Before the trial took place, the families of the victims who carried out the demonstration for more than half a century demanded accountability for the killings lined up to the court building. They took pictures of the dead and walked behind a banner that read "Toward Justice".

John McKinney, whose brother William, was killed in the shooting incident in a trial, said the day the trial began historicly.

"It took 53 years to get to this point, and we have fought against all obstacles to get here," McKinney said.

"Everything we have achieved to this point is achieved through a relentless commitment and refusal to surrender," he said. We will soon occupy the courtroom with pride, with our heads held high and awareness that, whatever the final result, we are on the right side in history," he continued.