Human Rights Watch: Britain complicit in torture of detainees

The New York-based organization Human Rights Watch released a damning report Tuesday accusing Britain of being complicit in the torture of British citizens in Pakistan.

Just when all eyes were focused on the controversial news that the Canadian military might have knowingly turned over detainees to certain torture in Afghanistan in 2006-2007, Human Rights Watch released an explosive report Tuesday. The report

"... provides accounts from victims and their families about the cases of five UK citizens of Pakistani origin-Salahuddin Amin, Zeeshan Siddiqui, Rangzieb Ahmed, Rashid Rauf and a fifth individual who wishes to remain anonymous-tortured in Pakistan between 2004 and 2007. The men were tortured and ill-treated by the military-controlled Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency, the civilian-controlled Intelligence Bureau (IB), or other Pakistani security agencies. Their abuse was part of a longstanding pattern of routine, systematic torture by the Pakistani authorities that has been extensively documented. The accuracy of their accounts of mistreatment has been confirmed by Pakistani and British security and intelligence officials."

Human Rights Watch was unequivocal in their characterization of Britain's complicity in the torture of Pakistani detainees, saying Britain was "... cruel, counter-productive and in clear breach of international law." The organization recommends that Britain

"...Order a full and independent public inquiry with subpoena powers to establish whether British security services have been complicit in torture or other ill-treatment in Pakistan and elsewhere."

Great Britain's newspaper, the Guardian, said the report corroborated

"... many of the findings of the Guardian's own investigation into the mistreatment of people held during British-led counter-terrorism operations."

It should be noted that Human Rights Watch does not say the UK was actively involved with the torture of detainees, only that the country was aware of the torture of it's own citizens in Pakistan. The information that Pakistani authorities extracted from victims who were tortured was used by Great Britain in court cases. Britain is so far refusing to hold an inquiry, holding obstinately to its position in spite of the growing demand from the public. The report follows on the heels of a brewing scandal in Canada after a senior intelligence agent said Canada knew it was sending Afghanistan detainees on to torture when it turned over the captives to Afghan authorities. The United States has also faced accusations of similar practices and also in the active torture of detainees. Amnesty International has joined with Canadian opposition parties calling for an inquiry into Colvin's allegations. Prime Minister Stephen Harper, however, said the government did not try to brush off Colvin or attempt to keep him quiet. The government is expected to state its case Wednesday in the House Committee examining Cnada's role in Afghanistan torture of detainees. Opposition MPs are demanding copies of Colvin's correspondence with the government. The government has refused.