Ban Torture

The UK admitted breaching the human rights of Baha Mousa, a Basra hotel receptionist, who died in custody in September 2003.  Mousa and eight other Iraqi civilians had been “conditioned” to make them more likely to answer questions.  They were handcuffed, hooded, forced into stress positions, deprived of sleep and subjected to 36 hours of assaults, during which they were kicked, punched and beaten.  Mousa died in four days with 93 external injuries.

Defense Secretary Des Browne apologized to the families.  No one has been held responsible for Mousa’s death.  One soldier, Cpl Donald Payne, admitted inhumane treatment of the detainees and was the first British soldier convicted of a war crime.  Other soldiers were acquited.

Last June in a landmark judgment, the House of Lords ruled that Iraqi civilians arrested and detained by British soldiers can rely on the protection of the Human Rights Act which covers the UK’s obligations under the European Convention on Human Rights.