A former British soldier, known as Soldier F, will face trial for the murder of two men during the 1972 'Bloody Sunday' disturbances in Londonderry, Northern Ireland. The charges against him include two counts of murder and five counts of attempted murder related to a civil rights march and subsequent rioting on Jan. 30, 1972. This incident resulted in the deaths of thirteen individuals, marking one of the deadliest shooting incidents during the period of violence known as 'The Troubles' in Northern Ireland.
Despite a plea of not guilty from Soldier F, a judge at Belfast Crown Court rejected a request to dismiss the charges due to insufficient evidence. The trial is expected to commence early next year, with the next hearing scheduled for Jan. 24. Soldier F, shielded behind a curtain to protect his identity, is the sole British Army veteran facing trial for the Bloody Sunday killings after years of investigations and legal proceedings.
