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After fatal UK crash, ‘anomaly’ over US diplomatic immunity is removed
Britainu00e2u20acu2122s Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab at a news conference following a meeting with Canadau00e2u20acu2122s Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, August 6, 2019. u00e2u20acu201d Reuters pic

LONDON, July 22 — Britain has agreed with the United States to remove an "anomaly” which allowed the wife of a US official to claim diplomatic immunity from criminal prosecution after she was involved in a road accident in which 19-year-old Briton Harry Dunn was killed.

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The crash last August has caused friction between London and Washington after Britain criticised the United States for refusing to extradite Anne Sacoolas.

Now the loophole that allowed Sacoolas to claim immunity has been closed.

"It’s important that we have now agreed with the US new arrangements that have closed the anomaly that led to the denial of justice in the heart-breaking case of Harry Dunn,” Raab said in a statement.

Dunn’s family have said Sacoolas was driving on the wrong side of the road at the time of the crash, near the air force base in Northamptonshire which is used by the US military.

Sacoolas left Britain shortly after the accident. Her lawyer has said that she will not return voluntarily to potentially face jail for "a terrible but unintentional accident”. — Reuters

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