MI5 let Pak spies torture UK citizens

LONDON: Britain’s premier intelligence agency, the MI5 has been accused of ‘outsourcing’ the torture of British citizens to Pakistan’s ISI.

A number of British terror suspects who have been arrested in Pakistan at the request of the UK authorities have alleged that they were brutally tortured by the notorious ISI, and shortly after questioned by MI5 officers at a secret interrogation centre in Rawalpindi.

“I am left with no doubt that at the very worst, the British Security Service instigates the illegal detention and torture of British citizens and at the very best turns a blind eye to torture,” said Tayab Ali, a London-based lawyer for two of the men making the allegations.

Two Muslim men, Zeeshan Siddiqui from Hounslow in London and Salahuddin Amin from Luton just outside London gave detailed accounts to The Guardian newspaper about the horrific torture they were subjected to for months at the hands of the ISI in Pakistan, and then sent back to the UK.

They have complained of beatings, being whipped, sleep deprivation, being hung upside down, tearing out of nails, and being threatened with an electric drill among other forms of torture.

The MI5 has not disputed questioning the men several times during their detention in Pakistan. Neither of these British nationals received any assistance from British consular staff in Pakistan.

These accusations are likely to surface in number of forthcoming court cases including an appeal lodged by Amin who was convicted of terrorism offences, and a separate civil action being pursued on his behalf.

MI5 is expected to defend itself arguing that it had no idea that ISI might be torturing the men. Lawyers in both Pakistan and the UK as well as human rights activists in both countries refuse to believe the argument. Under the Criminal Justice Act 1988, it is an offence for British officials to instigate or consent to the inflicting of “severe pain or suffering” on any person, anywhere in the world, or even acquiesce in such treatment. A conviction in such an offence carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.

The MI5 has declined to comment on the allegations. The Foreign Office said it was aware of 5 British citizens being detained in Pakistan over the last four years for questioning, but would not say how many were detained before 2004. It admitted it had attempted to seek consular access to only two of these people.