According to a report by the ITV News, a joint Crown Prosecution Service and Metropolitan Police Scoping panel made the decision to probe the role of officers from Britain’s secret intelligence agency MI6 and internal security service MI5 in the mistreatment of three Guantanamo inmates.
The inquiry is expected to lead British detectives to ask for US government permission to interview Shaker Aamer, the last Briton held in the notorious American prison camp in Cuba.
Shaker Aamer, the Saudi-born British resident, was kidnapped in 2001 in Afghanistan and accused of leading a unit of fighters in the Asian country. He was transferred to US military’s Guantanamo Bay prison facility later in 2002.
As there had been no evidence against the, he was cleared for release under the administration of former President of the United States, George W. Bush in 2007 and also Barack Obama’s administration in 2009, but he was never set free.
British officials have been accused of visiting him while aware that he was subjected to torture including sleep deprivation and noise torture.
“This is a positive development. What has happened to Shaker was appalling and we look forward to cooperating with the police,” said his US lawyer Cori Crider.
Furthermore, the Crown Prosecution Service said, “The panel has now had the opportunity to sit and, having assessed twelve cases it has referred three to the MPS [Metropolitan Police Scoping] to consider further investigation.”
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