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| I was beaten, blindfolded and humiliated, says Iraqi former prisoner | I was beaten, blindfolded and humiliated, says Iraqi former prisoner |
| (8 days later) | |
| An Iraqi detained by British troops after a battle with insurgents said at an official inquiry he was blindfolded, beaten, humiliated, interrogated while naked, and feared he would be tortured. | An Iraqi detained by British troops after a battle with insurgents said at an official inquiry he was blindfolded, beaten, humiliated, interrogated while naked, and feared he would be tortured. |
| "I felt they were out to kill us," Mahdi Jasim Abdullah al-Behadili told the public inquiry into allegations that British soldiers murdered up to 20 unarmed Iraqis and abused up to nine others following a fierce firefight with insurgents on 14 May 2004. | "I felt they were out to kill us," Mahdi Jasim Abdullah al-Behadili told the public inquiry into allegations that British soldiers murdered up to 20 unarmed Iraqis and abused up to nine others following a fierce firefight with insurgents on 14 May 2004. |
| Behadili, who was 17 when he was seized by the soldiers that day, is the first Iraqi detainee to give oral evidence to the inquiry in central London. | Behadili, who was 17 when he was seized by the soldiers that day, is the first Iraqi detainee to give oral evidence to the inquiry in central London. |
| He said he was taken prisoner by two soldiers. He was hiding in a ditch after hearing the sound of gunfire and aircraft, he said. | He said he was taken prisoner by two soldiers. He was hiding in a ditch after hearing the sound of gunfire and aircraft, he said. |
| One of the soldiers broke his nose and knocked him unconscious. He said he was then blindfolded and handcuffed and taken to the Camp Abu Naji, a British base north of Basra. | One of the soldiers broke his nose and knocked him unconscious. He said he was then blindfolded and handcuffed and taken to the Camp Abu Naji, a British base north of Basra. |
| Behadili said he was again knocked unconscious when he was hit on the head before being taken for questioning. After he was interrogated, naked sitting on a chair, he was threatened with a metal tent peg, he told the inquiry. | Behadili said he was again knocked unconscious when he was hit on the head before being taken for questioning. After he was interrogated, naked sitting on a chair, he was threatened with a metal tent peg, he told the inquiry. |
| Questioned by the inquiry's counsel, Jonathan Acton Davis QC, he said: "I was sat on a chair and hit repeatedly every now and then on my back." He added: "I was afraid, thinking that I was there to be tortured". | Questioned by the inquiry's counsel, Jonathan Acton Davis QC, he said: "I was sat on a chair and hit repeatedly every now and then on my back." He added: "I was afraid, thinking that I was there to be tortured". |
| He and other Iraqi detainees were then taken by helicopter to a second British base south of Basra. He said they were kept in a cell for a week. "When they would see us about to sleep, they would bang on the door," Behadili said. | He and other Iraqi detainees were then taken by helicopter to a second British base south of Basra. He said they were kept in a cell for a week. "When they would see us about to sleep, they would bang on the door," Behadili said. |
| Acton Davis questioned him later about apparent discrepancies and inconsistencies in his statements to the inquiry and, earlier, to the British military police. He was shown a photograph of four Iraqis blindfolded and handcuffed lying head down. Behadili agreed one of them was him but he said he was alone when he was first captured. | Acton Davis questioned him later about apparent discrepancies and inconsistencies in his statements to the inquiry and, earlier, to the British military police. He was shown a photograph of four Iraqis blindfolded and handcuffed lying head down. Behadili agreed one of them was him but he said he was alone when he was first captured. |
| He was shown another picture taken by British soldiers showing a cache of weapons, including a rocket launcher and Kalashnikov rifles. But he said he did not see them and the picture was not of the place where he was captured. | He was shown another picture taken by British soldiers showing a cache of weapons, including a rocket launcher and Kalashnikov rifles. But he said he did not see them and the picture was not of the place where he was captured. |
| Behadili was not released until the spring of 2005. He is one of a number of detainees who say they were abused by British soldiers at the time. Others do not say they were ill-treated. | Behadili was not released until the spring of 2005. He is one of a number of detainees who say they were abused by British soldiers at the time. Others do not say they were ill-treated. |
| The inquiry is named after Hamid al-Sweady, 19, one of the unarmed civilians allegedly killed by British troops after the battle of Danny Boy, named after a British checkpoint near Majar al-Kabir on 14 May 2004. | The inquiry is named after Hamid al-Sweady, 19, one of the unarmed civilians allegedly killed by British troops after the battle of Danny Boy, named after a British checkpoint near Majar al-Kabir on 14 May 2004. |
| British commanders said they brought dead Iraqis into their base, Camp Abu Naji, to identify if any had been responsible for the deaths of six British military police in a previous violent incident in the area. The soldiers and Ministry of Defence strongly deny the allegations. | British commanders said they brought dead Iraqis into their base, Camp Abu Naji, to identify if any had been responsible for the deaths of six British military police in a previous violent incident in the area. The soldiers and Ministry of Defence strongly deny the allegations. |
| The need for the inquiry was conceded in November 2009 by the then defence secretary, Bob Ainsworth, after high court judges accused the MoD of "lamentable" behaviour and "serious breaches" of its duty of candour during the court proceedings. | The need for the inquiry was conceded in November 2009 by the then defence secretary, Bob Ainsworth, after high court judges accused the MoD of "lamentable" behaviour and "serious breaches" of its duty of candour during the court proceedings. |
| The inquiry will hear evidence from around 60 Iraqi witnesses, in London and Beirut, and from up to 200 military witnesses. It is unlikely to report before the end of 2014. | The inquiry will hear evidence from around 60 Iraqi witnesses, in London and Beirut, and from up to 200 military witnesses. It is unlikely to report before the end of 2014. |
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