MoD to investigate Iraq abuse claims

Last Modified: 19 Oct 2007
By: Nick Paton Walsh

The Ministry of Defence is launching a new investigation into claims British troops abused Iraqi soldiers.

Warning: You may be disturbed by some of the images in the video.

Lawyers for the Iraqi families of soldiers captured after an insurgent ambush in May 2004 have lodged documents at the High Court, including a video showing bodies being taken to an Iraqi hospital and statements by witnesses claiming some bodies showed signs of horrific mutilation and torture.

The complaint demands an independent inquiry into an incident that began with a "heavy firefight" on the Amarrah to Basra road, at a checkpoint just north of the town of Majar al-Kabir.

The Ministry of Defence has confirmed the bodies of 20 Iraqi fighters were collected for identification and nine living prisoners rounded up for processing.

The Iraqis were transported to the British base, Abu Naji Camp in Amarah.

The next day, the bodies were handed over to Iraqis at the base, and the prisoners moved to Basra.

Channel Four News has obtained a video, purportedly of the bodies. We can't verify the pictures independently, but they were also submitted to the High Court.

It begins with the bodies being collected by local ambulances. We cannot see what condition they are in at that point.

They are driven across town to the hospital, the cameraman's identity is unclear, and there is a five minute gap in the time code in the tape, before they arrive at hospital.

The bodies are examined, by doctors who have said one was asphyxiated, another shot in the neck, another had his penis cut off.

One man's eye is gauged out, the blood on the wound has led to claims he was alive when the injury was inflicted.