Glass
11th November 2010, 04:03 AM
A NUMBER of British military interrogators may face war crimes charges after members of their unit filmed themselves while threatening and abusing Iraqi detainees at a secret prison near Basra, the High Court in London has been told.
The men have been referred to the Director of Service Prosecutions (DSP) after an investigation considered whether they had breached the International Criminal Court Act, which prohibits war crimes.
The referral was accompanied by ''a recommendation that he consider charges under the 2001 Act'', Philip Havers, QC, counsel for the British Ministry of Defence, told the court.
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He added that Article 8 of the act defines a number of actions as war crimes, including ''committing outrages upon personal dignity, in particular humiliating and degrading treatment''.
It is thought that three men have been referred to the DSP, while several other interrogators are still under investigation.
The disclosure came at the end of proceedings brought on behalf of 222 Iraqi men who were detained by British forces following the 2003 invasion, in an attempt to force a public inquiry into allegations of systematic mistreatment.
The court was told there was evidence that detainees were starved, deprived of sleep, subjected to sensory deprivation, and threatened with execution at the shadowy prison near Basra operated by the Joint Forces Interrogation Team.
It was also told that prisoners were beaten and forced to kneel in stressful positions for up to 30 hours at a time. Some of the prisoners claim they were humiliated sexually by women soldiers, while others allege they were held for days in cells as small as one-metre square.
Full article.... (http://www.theage.com.au/world/inquisitors-under-war-crimes-cloud-20101110-17nna.html)
Question: If the UK is part of the "alliance" or Axis of Good can they bring charges against other forces participating in the alliance?
The men have been referred to the Director of Service Prosecutions (DSP) after an investigation considered whether they had breached the International Criminal Court Act, which prohibits war crimes.
The referral was accompanied by ''a recommendation that he consider charges under the 2001 Act'', Philip Havers, QC, counsel for the British Ministry of Defence, told the court.
Advertisement: Story continues below
He added that Article 8 of the act defines a number of actions as war crimes, including ''committing outrages upon personal dignity, in particular humiliating and degrading treatment''.
It is thought that three men have been referred to the DSP, while several other interrogators are still under investigation.
The disclosure came at the end of proceedings brought on behalf of 222 Iraqi men who were detained by British forces following the 2003 invasion, in an attempt to force a public inquiry into allegations of systematic mistreatment.
The court was told there was evidence that detainees were starved, deprived of sleep, subjected to sensory deprivation, and threatened with execution at the shadowy prison near Basra operated by the Joint Forces Interrogation Team.
It was also told that prisoners were beaten and forced to kneel in stressful positions for up to 30 hours at a time. Some of the prisoners claim they were humiliated sexually by women soldiers, while others allege they were held for days in cells as small as one-metre square.
Full article.... (http://www.theage.com.au/world/inquisitors-under-war-crimes-cloud-20101110-17nna.html)
Question: If the UK is part of the "alliance" or Axis of Good can they bring charges against other forces participating in the alliance?