Home -> Law Blog Directory -> Legal News Blogs -> JURIST - The Paper Chase

Legal News

: JURIST - The Paper Chase

UN torture investigator warns UK over MI5 interrogation conduct

By Bernard Hibbitts (editor) and University of Pittsburgh School of Law students.

[JURIST] UN special rapporteur on torture Manfred Nowak has told the British government that the United Kingdom may have acquiesced in the mistreatment of terror suspect detainees and thereby violated the UN Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment. The Guardian reported Sunday that, according to Nowak, Britain's MI5 security service may have been complicit in mistreating detainees in US custody. Nowak said the privilege of state secrecy should not impede probes into torture allegations and that he is looking to organize a fact-finding mission to Pakistan to investigate the mistreatment claims. Britain's Foreign and Commonwealth Office has said it investigates all claims of mistreatment involving British officials. Nowak's criticism came as the government faces mounting pressure to investigate claims British residents were tortured at Guantanamo. Zachary Katznelson, lawyer for Guantanamo detainee Shaker Aamer, said Sunday that British officers were present when Aamer was beaten in US custody in Afghanistan. Ex-Guantanamo detainee and British resident Binyam Mohamed has also said he was tortured while in US custody.

Full post as published by JURIST - The Paper Chase on March 02, 2009 (boomark / email).