British YPG volunteer calls for investigation into UK’s prosecution services

“People have speculated that the decision to prosecute was motivated by a concern to mend fences with the Turkish state now that [IS] is defeated, and Britain no longer needs nor feels any loyalty to the Kurds."

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Macer Gifford, a former British People’s Protection Units (YPG) volunteer told Kurdistan 24 an investigation into the British Crown Prosecution Services (CPS) is required after their failed attempt to prosecute an ex-soldier who joined the YPG.

Last Tuesday, CPS dropped charges against former soldier James Matthews, 43, who fought with the Kurdish YPG in Syria against the Islamic State (IS).

He was initially accused of receiving training in “terrorist training camps.” However, the CPS failed to collect enough evidence.

After all, Matthews was part of the YPG, which is backed by the US-led coalition against IS and was not involved in any crimes. The United Kingdom itself is also part of the US-led coalition.

“With only 10 percent of returning jihadists being prosecuted in the UK, the decision to go after a former British army veteran that went to fight [IS] does nothing but erode trust in the CPS in the eyes of the public. There is a lot of concern that the CPS decided to pursue this prosecution for political reasons,” Gifford said.

Some volunteers suspect that the UK is prosecuting volunteers to please Turkey.

“If the Erdogan government insisted that the UK charged British volunteers with terrorism then this case has huge implications. We need an urgent investigation into the conduct of the CPS,” Gifford added.

“The prosecution never explained in any detail the basis for this charge, and now they refuse to say why they’ve dropped it,” Matthews said in a public statement.

“People have speculated that the decision to prosecute was motivated by a concern to mend fences with the Turkish state now that [IS] is defeated, and Britain no longer needs nor feels any loyalty to the Kurds.

“As long as the Crown and the Attorney General refuse to give a meaningful explanation it is hard to dismiss such suspicions,” he added.

It was not the first time a British volunteer was arrested. British volunteers Aiden Aslin and Joshue Walker were both arrested a few years ago but were not charged with any crimes.

“Our justice system is supposed to be independent and based on the rule of law. If there is any evidence that a prosecution has been politically driven then it’s in the public interest that the truth comes out,” Gifford told Kurdistan 24.

“There’s a running theme here. The CPS has wasted a fortune on legal fees and police time, pursuing YPG volunteers. Each case is dropped,” he added.

Others claim the UK is trying to warn others from joining by prosecuting or arresting volunteers.

But Gifford says if this is the case, it’s a complete failure.

“Hundreds of British men and women have gone to Syria to fight IS. Many were motivated by the inaction of the British government and the fact that they weren’t taking a leading position in the coalition against IS,” he said.

“The CPS and their pursuit of British volunteers feeds into one of the many frustrations that leads British men and women to Syria. They see the utter failure of leadership in the West, the inaction that contributed to the suffering in Syria and the reluctance of the government to confront [IS] as a key reason to leave home and volunteer in Syria,” he concluded.

Editing by Karzan Sulaivany