28 January 2026
Colum Eastwood MP has expressed his deep disappointment that once again Bloody Sunday families have been let down by the state following a PPS decision not to prosecute former soldiers for perjury.
During the trial of Soldier F at Belfast’s Crown Court last year, Mr Justice Lynch concluded that a number of soldiers had been ‘serially untruthful’ about events on Bloody Sunday and that they ‘committed perjury’ before the Widgery and Saville Inquiries.
Mr Eastwood said that an unbelievable burden had been placed on the families of the dead and injured on Bloody Sunday to fight institutions of the state for justice for more than fifty years.
Colum Eastwood MP said:
“It’s impossible to overstate the scale of the burden that has been placed on the families of the dead and injured on Bloody Sunday. For more than fifty years, they have had to fight every conceivable institution of the state for truth, justice and accountability. Today, again, they have been badly let down by the incredible decision not to prosecute soldiers for perjury during the Widgery and Saville Inquiries.
“It is an incredible decision because during the trial of Soldier F last year, whose defence cost the public more than £4.3m, Mr Justice Lynch was clear that individual soldiers had been ‘serially untruthful’ and that they had ‘committed perjury’. It is not unreasonable to expect that there would be some consequence for those actions.
“As I always have, and as the people of Derry always have, we will fully support the Bloody Sunday families in the days and weeks ahead. These families are leaving no stone unturned in their pursuit of justice and we’re with them every step of the way.”