Government admits breaching Human Rights laws over abuse of Iraqis

10.23.00am UTC (GMT +0000) Mon 31st Mar 2008

The Government has admitted "substantive breaches" of the European Convention on Human Rights over the death and torture of Iraqi civilians in the custody of British soldiers. The admission, which may cost the Ministry of Defence millions of pounds in compensation, relates to the death of Baha Mousa, a Basra hotel receptionist, and the abuse of eight other Iraqis while held in a British detention centre in September 2003.

Liberal Democrat Defence spokesperson Nick Harvey said "These admissions are of such a serious nature that there must be a full and independent inquiry into how such behaviour came about. Serious questions must also be asked about the kind of training and direction troops were given before they went into Iraq. The Government now has a moral duty to provide a full compensation settlement to the victims and their families."