The UK government has published the findings of an independent inquiry into the UK's alleged involvement in the improper treatment or rendition of detainees.
Based on the analysis of over 20,000 top secret documents, the Detainee Inquiry summarised its findings as follows:
- Documents indicate that in some instances UK intelligence officers were aware of inappropriate interrogation techniques and mistreatment or allegations of mistreatment of some detainees by liaison partners from other countries.
- Documents indicate that Government or its Agencies may have become inappropriately involved in some cases of rendition.
- No reason to doubt that instruction to personnel was that detainees must be treated humanely and consistently with UK’s international legal obligations. But officers on the ground needed clear guidance on when and with whom to raise concerns.
- Documents raise the question whether the Agencies could have identified possible patterns of detainee mistreatment more quickly and whether or not sufficient information was given to the ISC to enable it to perform its duties.
Speaking to the House of Commons, Kenneth Clarke, Cabinet Office Minister Without Portfolio, announced that Parliament's Intelligence and Security Committee will follow-up the Inquiry with their own investigations, expected to conclude by the end of 2014.
The Detainee Inquiry was raised by the UN's Committee Against Torture in their evaluation of the UK earlier this year. The Committee voiced serious concerns over the UK's alleged involvement in torture and rendition, and requested that the UK provide further information on this issue by 31 May 2014.
UNA-UK has raised similar concerns on a number of occasions, and earlier this year wrote to Andrew Tyrie MP, chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Extraordinary Rendition, who has repeatedly raised this subject in Parliament.
