A newly released report, Cruel Britannia contains detailed accounts from victims and their families of 5 UK citizens of Pakistani origin who were tortured by Pakistani security agencies in Pakistan. The report, published by Human Rights Watch, found no evidence of UK officials being directly involved in the torture, however they did find evidence of complicity.

Whilst the UK government has issued general denials of complicity in torture, the specific allegations made by HRW and others have not been addressed.

The government has also failed to respond adequately to the findings and recommendations of the Joint Committee on Human Rights (JCHR) and the Foreign Affairs Committee. The JCHR has called for an independent judicial inquiry in its report ‘Allegations of UK Complicity in Torture‘, published in July 2009

In its most recent report on UK compliance with the UN Convention Against Torture (in 2004), the UN Committee made a number of recommendations, including that the UK: ensure that the conduct of its officials, including those attending interrogations at any overseas facility, is strictly in conformity with the requirements of the Convention and that any breaches of the Convention that it becomes aware of should be investigated promptly and impartially.

“The British government has stonewalled parliament, victims and the public alike in refusing to answer any questions about its behavior in Pakistan,” Hasan said. “It should immediately set up an independent judicial inquiry and put in place measures to ensure that its complicity in torture never happens again.”