Government 'Knew of Torture A Year Ago' Claims Amnesty

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Prisoner Abuse Probe 'Going on for Months', Admits MoD

The Government tonight revealed it has spent months investigating claims that British soldiers had abused Iraqi prisoners.

The Ministry of Defence said allegations first came to light “several months ago”.

It was unable to reveal when the Government was first alerted to claims. But a spokeswoman said it was “certainly way back into last year”. The MoD is investigating 33 cases.

The revelation comes after Amnesty International claimed it told the Government a year ago that British troops had tortured Iraqi prisoners.

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The Government was told a year ago that British troops had tortured Iraqi prisoners, Amnesty International claimed tonight.
The group said it had held ongoing talks with the Ministry of Defence and the Foreign Office since last May.

Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon will make a statement to the House of Commons tomorrow after the Government last night admitted the Red Cross told it about alleged abuses in February.

Mr Hoon was already facing questions on what the Government knew. But the pressure has now intensified after the Amnesty claims.
The group said it wrote to the Ministry of Defence a year ago claiming Iraqi prisoners had been tortured – and one killed – in British custody.It met with the MoD and Foreign Office last June to underline its concerns and received a written follow-up two weeks later. The campaign group then sent the Government an exhaustive memo detailing the allegations in July. And it wrote directly to Mr Hoon in October warning him of “torture and death” in custody.


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