Amnesty renews call for robust inquiry into UK torture

Amnesty International on Monday renewed its call for a “robust” inquiry into the UK's involvement in torture following a new case of a Kenyan being allegedly abused during interrogation by British and US officials. Director of Amnesty International UK, Kate Allen, said the latest claim that Omar Awadh Omar in Uganda was tortured after being kidnapped and driven over the border to Uganda is a “further reminder of why we need a robust public inquiry into the UK involvement in torture and other abuses of detainees overseas.” “It is all the more regrettable, then, that the inquiry under Sir Peter Gibson is set to be an underpowered, secretive affair that is highly unlikely to inform the public about a series of deeply troubling cases – from Pakistan and Afghanistan to Gambia and Guantánamo,” Allen said. Human rights organisations, including Amnesty, have already announced that they will boycott the inquiry, set up by Prime Minister David Cameron, into the UK's alleged role in torture and rendition because it lacks credibility and transparency and is “deeply flawed'. “How is an inquiry that requires governmental approval of information disclosure, has no intention of seeking evidence from overseas, and lacks powers to compel witnesses to attend, ever likely to get to the bottom of this murky affair?” Allen asked. In a letter to the Guardian newspaper, she repeated her call for a “revamped inquiry that is truly capable of restoring public confidence in our security services.” Human rights groups and lawyers announced earlier this month that they did not intend to submit any evidence or attend any further meetings with the inquiry team. Although initially welcoming the inquiry when it was announced last year, they warned that the terms would not comply with the government's international obligations to investigate torture.