De Britse speciale krachtentroepen werden geïmpliceerde in het onderzoek van een mens die beweert hij door de agenten van de V.S. terwijl gehouden in geheime gevangenissen voor een periode van bijna drie jaar werd gemarteld, is het in een rapport geëistr dat door Internationale Amnestie wordt vrijgegeven.

De eis leidde tot vernieuwde vraag van de rechten van de mensgroep voor de Britse Overheid om een grondig, onafhankelijk onderzoek in alle aspecten van Britse betrokkenheid toe te staan met geheime „oorlogs op verschrikking“ detentions, met inbegrip van zogenaamde vertolkingsvluchten.

Er is geen suggestie in het rapport dat de Britse troepen zelf in marteling werden geïmpliceerde of ondervraging van de man, een Yemeni ingezetene die zegt hij door de troepen van de V.S. tijdens een bereik van een marktplaats in de Iraakse stad van Fallujah in 2004 werd vastgehouden.

But Amnesty noted that the UK personnel apparently did nothing to raise the alarm about the man’s alleged mistreatment at the hands of American interrogators.

The latest report is based on the testimony of Khaled al-Maqtari, a 31-year-old former merchant, who says he was severely tortured while being held in three prisons before his release without charge in May 2007.

Its publication comes just weeks after Foreign Secretary David Miliband admitted to Parliament that, contrary to earlier denials, the UK territory of Diego Garcia had been used by US rendition flights carrying detainees.

Amnesty International UK director Kate Allen said: “Slowly but surely more information about the ultra-secretive US ‘war on terror’ detentions operation is trickling out and Khaled al-Maqtari’s extremely serious allegations must be met with a serious investigation by both the US and UK authorities.

“A full independent inquiry on both sides of the Atlantic into secret prisons and rendition flights is long overdue and should now happen as soon as possible.

“If his allegations are substantiated, Mr al-Maqtari’s tormentors must be brought to justice and he should receive proper reparation for his horrifying ordeal.”

Mr al-Maqtari told Amnesty that after his seizure, he was taken, handcuffed and hooded, to a military camp near Fallujah, where he was beaten by US soldiers before being transferred by helicopter to Baghdad’s Abu Ghraib prison. There, he says he was subjected to beatings with sticks while naked, hooded and handcuffed. Loud discordant music was played and he was doused in cold water and forced to hold a heavy box while standing in front of a powerful air-conditioning system.

© Copyright Press Association Ltd 2008, All Rights Reserved.

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