Al-Sweady Inquiry told Iraqi teen ‘tortured and hanged’ by UK troops
Iran Press TV
Fri Apr 19, 2013 1:16PM GMT
Al-Sweady Inquiry into allegations of torture and murder of detainees by British soldiers in Iraq in 2004 has heard that a teenage victim had been abused and hanged by UK troops.
Khudur al-Swaiedi, the uncle of Hamid al-Sweady, whom the inquiry is named after, said he found signs of torture on the body of his 19-year-old nephew after it had been handed back by British troops.
In his first day of evidence to the inquiry on Thursday, Swaiedi told the inquiry that the signs of torture include a boot-shaped bruise on Hamid’s forehead, as well as a broken arm and bullet wounds.
There were also signs he had been hanged, his uncle said.
“We saw ambulances. British army ambulances, from a distance. Things were being handed over. It turned out that those were body bags,” said Swaiedi.
The 48-year-old said he witnessed an “inhuman catastrophe” as the bags were opened, adding that injuries to the bodies not only included bullet wounds, but also missing eyes and missing genitals.
The British Ministry of Defense was forced to authorize the inquiry in May 2004 after the high court ruled the ministry seriously breached its obligations under the Human Rights Act to investigate the matter while hiding evidence that could lead to soldiers’ convictions.
MOS/SSM/HE
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