Evidence of British Complicity in Afghan Torture deepens at High Court hearing

The Evans v Secretary of State for Defence Judicial review will continue into next week as evidence emerges that MI5 was aware of allegations of mistreatment of detainees by the Afghan Secret service (“the NDS”) in Kandahar province in March 2007. This was several months after British Forces had started handing prisoners over to the NDF and one month before similar allegations emerged in the Canadian Media. It appears that no action was taken as a result and British prisoners were transferred to the NDS Kandahar facility that year by the NDS. They were never visited by British Forces

Evidence of British Complicity in Afghan Torture deepens at High Court hearing The Government also conceded in Court that British Forces had preserved access into the NDS facility for British interrogators, underlining the extent of cooperation with the Afghan NDS. The possibility that the results of Afghan interrogations were also passed to MI5 and British Forces is a very real one.

This week, the Court heard that numerous allegations of NDS torture have been made by former British prisoners involving electrocution, whipping, beating and stress positions. These are conceded by the Government to be of potential substance yet it continues transferring prisoners to the NDS. The Court also heard this week that the Government had dropped its longstanding legal objections to the Case and accepts that it should not be transferring prisoners where there is a real risk of torture. This risk has been highlighted in numerous NGO and UN reports. The hearing continues next week, when further “closed” hearings may result in the release of further information.

Daniel Carey, Solicitor, Public Interest Lawyers, said: “The Government cannot continue to ignore the clear evidence of torture by this organisation. Its international human rights law obligations couldn’t be clearer. They are risking prisoners’ lives and the reputation and criminal responsibility of British Forces.”

Maya Evans said: “Only now has the Government clearly admitted that it cannot hand over prisoners where there is a risk of torture by the NDS. The evidence is overwhelming. This practice must stop.”

For information contact:

Daniel Carey: 07815 089 526
Phil Shiner: 0121 515 5069 / 07715 485 248