British soldiers ‘tortured and hanged Iraqi teenager’

This 28 January 2013 video is about Iraq torture and killing allegations against British troops.

By Paddy McGuffin in Britain:

British troops ‘tortured and hanged Iraqi teen’

Thursday 18 April 2013

An inquiry into allegations of torture and murder of detainees by British troops in Iraq heard claims today that one of the alleged victims had been abused and hanged.

The al-Sweady inquiry, sitting in London, is examining allegations that a number of Iraqis were unlawfully killed and others severely abused by British forces after the Battle of Danny Boy in Iraq in May 2004.

It is alleged that a number of Iraqis were unlawfully killed at Camp Abu Naji near Majar-al-Kabir on May 14 and 15 2004, and detainees were ill-treated there and also at Shaibah Logistics Base.

The Ministry of Defence has vigorously denied the claims and says those who died were killed on the battlefield.

Khudur al-Swaiedi, the uncle of Hamid al-Sweady – whom the inquiry is named after – made the claims during his first day of evidence to the inquiry today.

Mr Swaiedi, who worked as a microbiologist at a nearby hospital, said he washed the body of his nephew after it had been handed back by British troops.

In the first of two witness statements, made in July 2010 and released at the inquiry today, he said that he had found signs of torture on the teenager, including a boot-shaped bruise on his forehead, as well as a broken arm and bullet wounds.

There were also signs he had been hanged, he said.

Mr Swaiedi said after he heard about the battle, he went to the scene where he and others searched the battlefield, where they discovered a number of bodies.

He stayed until around midnight, then the next day he and other relatives went to Camp Abu Naji where they saw the bodies being handed over.

“We saw ambulances. British army ambulances from a distance. Things were being handed over. It turned out that those were body bags,” he said.

On arrival at the al-Sadr Hospital, where the bodies were taken, he said he witnessed what he described as an “inhuman catastrophe” as the bags were opened.

In his statement he said injuries to the bodies not only included bullet wounds but also missing eyes and in one case missing genitals.

Related articles

• Al-Swaiedi inquiry: Teenager was tortured and hanged, claims his uncle (independent.co.uk)