UK-Iraq-Human Rights
Human rights lawyers have welcomed the UK's announcement of a public inquiry into the alleged abuse of Iraqi prisoners by British troops that led to the death of Basra hotel worker Baha Mousa back in September 2003.

"The Terms of Reference are broad enough to enable the Judge to explore fully how it came about that the five techniques banned from Northern Ireland in 1972 returned," said lawyers acting for Mousa's family and nine other victims of torture in the same incident.

The banned interrogation techniques allegedly used include hooding, stressing, sleep deprivation, food and water deprivation and the use of noise.

"My clients are pleased that the quest for accountability can soon begin in earnest," said Phil Shiner of Public Interest Lawyers, who leads the legal team.

Details of the inquiry were announced by Defense Secretary Des Browne on Monday, confirming that it will be held under the Inquiries Act 2005 and be chaired alone by retiring Court of Appeal judge, Lord Justice Gage.

The inquiry was to investigate and report on the circumstances surrounding the death of Mousa and the treatment of those detained with him, taking account other investigations and 'in particular where responsibility lay for approving the practice of conditioning detainees', Browne said.

The announcement comes after the Ministry of Defense earlier this month agreed to pay a record settlement of pnds 2.8 million (dlrs 5.5 m) over the killing of the hotel worker, who died after suffering 93 injuries at a detention center.

The compensation took five year and included the defense minister being forced to admit 'substantive breaches' of parts of the European Convention on Human Rights by British troops.

"Whilst damages have undoubtedly helped ease the sense of injustice felt by the Mousa family and the victims, accountability is about much more than money," said Shiner.

"In particular, who knew or should have known that British forces were trained to use -- and did use -- coercive interrogation techniques including a systematic approach to sexual humiliation to break down detainees," he said in a statement obtained by IRNA.

"No doubt if Mousa had not been hooded, stressed, deprived of sleep and deprived of food and water he would still be alive today," the human rights lawyer argued.

His colleague, Sapna Malik from Leigh Day & Co solicitors, also said he was pleased that the 'ball has now started rolling on the inquiry' which is expected to start before the end of the year.

"Many pressing questions remain to be answered about how the men came to be treated in such an abhorrent way, so that they can finally have closure and that lessons are learned to prevent anything similar happening again," Malik said.