Chilcot is an impetus for coming clean on British involvement in torture

Sonya Sceats, Director of Policy and Advocacy, Freedom from Torture, said:

"The fact of British abuse of Iraqis haunts the pages of Chilcot's report, even if the purpose of his inquiry was to explore political questions and military preparedness and not to pronounce on any legal violations.

It is all the more scandalous, therefore, that, at this very point in time the UK government is trying to stop the British judiciary examining torture involving our troops and spies in Iraq and other countries by threatening to curb the extraterritorial application of our Human Rights Act.

Keeping British involvement in torture abroad away from our judges and denying justice to the victims has become a running theme under this Government. Delays in unveiling the Chilcot report pale in comparison to David Cameron’s foot-dragging in exposing the truth about UK collusion in torture in the context of the so-called ‘war on terror’.

Our next Prime Minister must show more leadership by delivering the government’s promise of an independent, judge-led inquiry into torture complicity and otherwise allowing our world-renowned justice system to deliver accountability for any lapses in Britain’s commitment to the absolute ban on torture.”

Notes to editors:

  1. Since 1985 Freedom from Torture has been the only national human rights organisation dedicated to the rehabilitation and support of torture survivors seeking refuge in the UK. It does this primarily through offering psychological therapies and forensic documentation of torture as well as offering practical and welfare support.
  2. On 28 June 2016 Freedom from Torture, Amnesty International, Liberty and Reprieve issued a joint statement calling for the government to deliver on its promise to hold an independent, judicial inquiry into UK involvement in rendition and torture in the context of the US-led “war on terror”. The joint statement is available here: https://www.freedomfromtorture.org/news-blogs/9131
  3. On 27 March 2008, the Ministry of Defence admitted "substantial breaches" of the European Convention of Human Rights, including violation of the absolute ban on torture, inhuman and degrading treatment, in the case of Baha Mousa, an Iraqi who died in the custody of British soldiers. The Ministry of Defence has since paid more than £20 million to settle 326 cases of alleged abuse of detainees in Iraq by British personnel. See further: https://www.freedomfromtorture.org/news-blogs/8836