Whitehall held secret review into 15 possible cases of torture or rendition – The Guardian

‘Fifteen potential cases of torture or rendition involving British intelligence at the height of the “war on terror” were examined last year in a secret Whitehall review, whose existence was revealed in court proceedings on Tuesday.’

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The Guardian, 9th June 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

Why British Troops Must Not Be Placed Above The Law – Each Other

Posted May 28th, 2020 in armed forces, bills, news, time limits, torture, war crimes by sally

‘The outbreak of Covid-19 has demonstrated how quickly our established ideas and normalised ways of thinking can be changed. Work that was called ‘low-skilled’ is now recognised as ‘essential’, the nation has hailed nurses as ‘heroes’, and face masks are a part of routine life.’

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Each Other, 22nd May 2020

Source: eachother.org.uk

Bradford gang jailed for ‘sadistic’ torture and murder – BBC News

Posted March 12th, 2020 in murder, news, sentencing, torture by tracey

‘Three drug dealers who brutally tortured and murdered a man have been jailed for life.’

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BBC News, 11th March 2020

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Potential modern slavery victims among dozens facing imminent removal on charter flight to Pakistan – The Independent

Posted February 27th, 2020 in asylum, deportation, news, torture, trafficking in human beings by tracey

‘Asylum seekers thought to be victims of torture are set to be forcibly removed to Pakistan on the third charter flight to leave the UK in three weeks, The Independent can reveal.’

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The Independent, 26th February 2020

Source: www.independent.co.uk

UN warns of rise of ‘cybertorture’ to bypass physical ban – The Guardian

‘Psychological torture is being exploited by states to circumvent the more widely understood ban on physically inflicting pain and may open the way to a future of “cybertorture”, the UN torture rapporteur has said.’

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The Guardian, 21st February 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

The luck of the law – when is criminal conduct a matter of concern to the international community? – 6KBW College Hill

Posted February 11th, 2020 in chambers articles, genocide, international courts, international law, news, torture by sally

‘Certain crimes transcend the territorial confines of any State and become a matter of concern to the world as a whole. In those cases, where a domestic prosecution is not likely or possible, other States or international courts may step in. Such crimes may qualify by the gravity of the acts themselves, as with genocide or crimes against humanity, or by the context in which they are committed, as in war crimes. Yet two recent cases – one in the UK, one at the International Court of Justice – demonstrate that external political factors can be equally determinative of whether a prosecution for the gravest of crimes will take place.’

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6KBW College Hill, 11th February 2020

Source: blog.6kbw.com

Congolese torture survivor gets Home Office reprieve – The Guardian

Posted January 15th, 2020 in asylum, deportation, government departments, immigration, news, torture, whistleblowers by sally

‘A torture survivor from Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is celebrating after a Home Office U-turn allowed him to stay in the UK.’

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The Guardian, 15th January 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

Torture charges against former Liberia leader’s ex-wife dismissed – BBC News

Posted December 6th, 2019 in conspiracy, evidence, news, rape, torture, war crimes by sally

‘Torture charges against the ex wife of former Liberian president Charles Taylor have been dismissed at the Old Bailey.’

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BBC News, 6th December 2019

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Rendition: refusal to hold UK public inquiry to face judicial review – The Guardian

Posted December 2nd, 2019 in inquiries, intelligence services, judicial review, news, rendition, terrorism, torture by sally

‘The government’s refusal to hold a public inquiry into allegations that the security services were complicit in the torture and abduction of terror suspects after 9/11 is to be subjected to a full scale legal challenge.’

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The Guardian, 2nd December 2019

Source: www.theguardian.com

‘I still suffer trauma’: Home Office’s unlawful detentions – case study – The Guardian

‘Mohamed, an asylum seeker from Sudan, tells how he has been imprisoned many times since arriving in Britain in 2012.’

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The Guardian, 27th November 2019

Source: www.theguardian.com

Two Northumberland men sentenced for physical and mental torture of captive – Crown Prosecution Service

‘Two Northumberland men who subjected a captive man to a night of physical and mental torture have been sentenced to a total of 34 years at Newcastle Crown Court today (20 Nov).’

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Crown Prosecution Service, 20th November 2019

Source: www.cps.gov.uk

New Judgment: R v TRA [2019] UKSC 52 – UKSC Blog

‘The appellant was arrested in the United Kingdom in 2017 and charged with one count of conspiracy to commit torture and seven counts of torture, contrary to the Criminal Justice Act 1988, section 134. The charges relate to events in the early stages of the first Liberian civil war in 1990 when an armed group, the National Patriotic Front of Liberia took control of parts of Liberia. Its leader, Charles Taylor, subsequently became President of Liberia in 1997. The point of law raised in the appeal related to the correct interpretation of the term “person acting in an official capacity” in the CJA, section 134(1). The Court of Appeal held that CJA, section 134 is not confined to individuals acting on behalf of a State.’

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UKSC Blog, 13th November 2019

Source: ukscblog.com

MI5 policy ‘gives agents legal immunity to commit serious crimes’ – The Guardian

Posted November 6th, 2019 in human rights, immunity, intelligence services, news, prosecutions, torture by sally

‘MI5 operates a partially secret policy that allows agents to participate in serious crimes including torture and killing, a security tribunal has heard.’

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The Guardian, 5th November 2019

Source: www.theguardian.com

Home Office ‘doomed to repeat the mistakes of Windrush’ – The Guardian

Posted September 19th, 2019 in asylum, burden of proof, government departments, immigration, news, statistics, torture by tracey

‘The mistakes made by the Home Office over the Windrush scandal are doomed to be repeated unless the department completely overhauls its systems, according to a report about its approach to processing immigration applications.’

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The Guardian, 18th September 2019

Source: www.theguardian.com

UK’s Top Spy Watchdog Steps Down, Commits To Review ‘Torture Loophole’ By October – Rights Info

Posted June 3rd, 2019 in intelligence services, ministers' powers and duties, news, torture by sally

‘The UK’s top spy watchdog has announced he will be stepping down in October, a week after a secret policy allowing ministers to approve actions that could lead to torture was revealed.’

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Rights Info, 31st May 2019

Source: rightsinfo.org

Secret ‘Torture Loophole’ Raises Serious Questions For Government, MP David Davis And Barrister Say – Rights Info

‘The government must be asked “serious questions” on how a secret policy allowing ministers to approve actions that could lead to torture was signed off, a leading QC and Tory MP have said.’

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Rights Info, 20th May 2019

Source: rightsinfo.org

Home Office overseeing ‘serious failings’ in almost every stage of immigration detention process, MPs warn – The Independent

Posted March 21st, 2019 in detention, government departments, immigration, news, time limits, torture by tracey

‘The Home Office is overseeing “serious failings” in almost every stage of the immigration detention process, according to a new report which makes fresh calls for a time limit on detention.’

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The Independent, 21st March 2019

Source: www.independent.co.uk

UK court ruling raises hopes of asylum for torture survivors – The Guardian

Posted March 7th, 2019 in appeals, asylum, expert witnesses, immigration, news, torture by tracey

‘Tens of thousands of torture survivors could find it easier to secure sanctuary in the UK after a ruling by the supreme court.’

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The Guardian, 6th March 2019

Source: www.theguardian.com

Kathleen Griffin death: Torture killer ‘could have been stopped’ – BBC News

‘A woman was tortured and killed by a man who authorities should have stopped from living with her, a report said.’

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BBC News, 7th February 2019

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

UK government pays £1m to Cyprus ‘torture victims’ – BBC News

Posted January 24th, 2019 in armed forces, class actions, Cyprus, damages, news, rape, sexual offences, torture, victims by tracey

‘Thirty-three Cypriots who claimed they were tortured by British forces during an armed uprising in the late 1950s are to be awarded £1m damages, to be shared between them, by the UK government.’

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BBC News, 24th January 2019

Source: www.bbc.co.uk