The family of Irishman Liam Holden, who was tortured in prison, forced to confess to killing a British soldier, won his trial after his death on March 24, writes The Irish Times.
Holden was sentenced in 1972 to death by hanging, which was later commuted to life imprisonment. In 2012, the conviction was overturned and Holden was awarded £1 million in damages for a judicial error.
In 2022, he died at the age of 68 after launching a legal battle against the British Ministry of Defense and the Northern Ireland police, but the family continued to sue. As a result, he received compensation of £350,000 for torture and other violations committed during the investigation.
In particular, the court awarded damages of £50 for water torture, hooding and death threats, £10,000 for malicious prosecution, £10,000 for breach of official duty in public service, £30,000 for £250,000 for aggravated circumstances damages and £250,000 for special damages.
Holden’s family expressed their satisfaction with the verdict, noting that they regret that the victim does not owe until the court’s decision.
“I wish I was here to hear how it ends, it’s been a difficult journey for him, everything he’s been through, it’s sad that I’m not here to see how it ends.”– said Holden’s son, Samuel.
The Sinn Fein party honored Holden’s memory and welcomed the court’s decision.
Let us remember that the years in which Holden was detained are known in British historiography as the “Troubles”. This was the period when the Irish republicans tried to achieve complete independence for the entire island by force of arms. The armed confrontation was completed only in 1998 with the conclusion of the Belfast Agreement.
Source: Rossa Primavera
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