We can't shun countries that torture, says Foreign Office



Torture victim: Binyam Mohamed claims Britain was complicit in his treatment. Today's report will fuel speculation UK intelligence agencies collaborated with the torture of detainees abroad

Britain cannot afford the ‘luxury’ of only co-operating with countries which do not use torture, the Foreign Office says.

The statement in the department's annual human rights report will fuel suspicions that UK intelligence agencies collaborated with the harsh treatment of detainees abroad.

In its conclusions, the Foreign Office insists that Britain has to work with many international intelligence agencies, not all of which share the same standards and laws as Britain.

‘But we cannot afford the luxury of only dealing with those that do. The intelligence we get from others saves British lives,’ the 194 page report said.

‘We do all we can to minimise, and where possible avoid, the risk that the people in question are mistreated by those holding them. However, there are times when we cannot reduce the risk to zero.’

Former Shadow Home Secretary, David Davis, said this amounted to a change of policy.

‘All previous statements from Ministers say we have confined ourselves to using any information we receive from foreign agencies known to use torture, not to actively seeking information,’ he said.

‘It is frankly not good enough to slip this out in two paragraphs of a 200-page report.’

Ministers have faced accusations that UK residents detained under suspicion of plotting terror had been tortured in foreign prisons while MI6 and MI5 turned a blind eye.

The Court of Appeal found that the Security Service was complicit in the 'cruel, unusual and inhumane treatment' meted out to British resident Binyam Mohamed while he was held at Guantanamo Bay by the Americans.

Police are also investigating the actions of two British intelligence officers over their alleged complicity in the torture of people held overseas.

A dozen former Guantanamo Bay detainees, 11 of whom now live in Britain, have launched legal cases against the government accusing it of condoning their mistreatment abroad.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown pledged last year to release the guidance given to spy chiefs.

But despite pleas from the Intelligence and Security Committee to publish the guidelines ahead of a debate today, Downing Street could not confirm when they would be unveiled.

Mr Brown’s spokesman said discussions were ongoing.

In its report, the Foreign Office said that ultimately it was for ‘ministers to balance the risk of mistreatment against the national security needs and make a judgment’ on whether a Briton was at risk of torture if they were handed over to another country for questioning.

‘If the risk of mistreatment is too high then we will not go ahead with an operation.'

In a foreword to the report, Foreign secretary David Miliband warned of emerging challenges to human rights.



He said: 'The increasing threat to gay people's rights in some African countries reminds us that tolerance is a dream rather than reality for much of the world's population.'





