Ordinary people turned war criminals

On the front page of today's Independent, a story entitles War Criminals describes three court cases.

" * Maya Evans, 25, convicted for reading out names of 97 British soldiers killed in Iraq at unauthorised protest.
* Douglas Barker, 72, threatened with jail for withholding part of his tax payment in protest at the Iraq conflict.
* Malcolm Kendall-Smith, a 37-year-old RAF medical officer, facing court-martial for refusing to serve in Iraq"

Evans apparently told magistrates "I didn't want to be arrested but, as far as I was concerned, I didn't think I was doing anything wrong standing there on a drizzly Tuesday morning with a colleague reading names of people who had died in a war. I don't think it's a criminal offence and I don't think I should have been arrested for it."

She was convicted under Section 132 of the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005.

Barker told magistrates that he'd estimated that 10% of his taxes were going on military spending and he had therefore witheld that amount and intended to send it to a charity caring for children in Iraq. He wanted a guarantee that if he did pay the money it would not be used for military purposes.

Kendall-Smith refused to serve in Iraq because having reviewed the legal advice on the war, including that of the Attorney General, he came to believe the war was illegal. His court martial is due to take place in the Spring.