(Cab Office) Alleged complicity of the UK security and intelligence Agencies in torture or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment

The Intelligence and Security Committee (ISC) has today written to the Prime Minister regarding the alleged complicity of the UK security and intelligence Agencies in torture, or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment.

Speaking on behalf of the Committee, the Chairman, Dr Kim Howells, MP said:

"In 2007 the Intelligence and Security Committee published a report on Rendition. This considered whether the UK security and intelligence Agencies had any knowledge of, and/or involvement in, rendition operations, and their overall policy for intelligence sharing with foreign liaison services in this context. The report detailed four cases of rendition dating back to 2002 which illustrated key developments in the awareness of the changing nature of the US rendition programme. One of these cases was that of Binyam Mohamed, an Ethiopian national."

"Since our report was published there have been a number of new developments on which, as we already made clear in our 2007-2008 Annual Report, we have been conducting further investigations over the past year. One of these developments dates from mid- 2008, when we were informed by the Director General of the Security Service that new information had come to light about the Binyam Mohamed case which had been overlooked during the Committee's original rendition inquiry."

"The Intelligence and Security Committee does not investigate individual cases - any allegations of misconduct by, or on behalf of, the UK intelligence and security Agencies are a matter for the Investigatory Powers Tribunal (IPT), which is the appropriate statutory body to undertake a full independent investigation of such allegations. This Committee's role is to examine the expenditure, administration and policy of the security and intelligence Agencies. However, in this instance we considered that this new evidence had a far wider significance that went beyond an individual case, and that it raised questions about the policy and procedures that our security and intelligence Agencies follow. As such it was clearly a matter for the Intelligence and Security Committee and we therefore considered that a further detailed investigation was essential."

"As a result we have taken further, in depth, evidence from the intelligence and security Agencies, and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. We have today reported our findings on a number of aspects - including the issues raised about the policies that the UK security and intelligence Agencies have followed and should follow - and made recommendations to the Prime Minister."

"The issue of whether an officer from the Security Service committed a criminal offence in relation to the case of Binyam Mohamed is currently under investigation by the Attorney General and Director of Public Prosecutions. The Committee will therefore not be making any further public comment at this time."