Brits offered $3 000 for death
2004-05-14 20:02
Baghdad - An Iraqi man told an Arab television station on Friday that British troops tortured and killed his son in detention, and then apologised and offered him $3 000 in compensation for the death.
The accusation by Dawood Salim came amid an international scandal over abuse of Iraqi prisoners by US soldiers at Abu Ghraib prison near Baghdad, as well as allegations of British mistreatment of Iraqi prisoners.
In an interview with Al-Arabiya satellite TV network, Salim said his son, Bahaa Dawood Salim Mousa, and six other Iraqis were arrested on September 14 "without any justified reason" while working at Ibn al-Haitham hotel in Basra, the biggest city in southern Iraq.
"After two days of torture, he was killed," the father said. "I saw my son's body. His nose was broken, three of his ribs were broken."
He said there also bruises on his son's arms and other parts of his body. The interview was broadcast on Friday.
"The British commander sent us an apology, of which I have a copy, saying that they are sorry for killing him with no reason in their detention centres," he said. "Then they offered us $3 000 as compensation for my son."
In London, the British ministry of defence said there was "an interim payment" paid to the family of about $3 000 and it was accepted.
It said the compensation payment in the Mousa case was one of three made following fatalities. It didn't name the two other people killed but said the total payments added up to £8 125.
The ministry said Britain made a total of 57 compensation payments relating to fatalities, personal injury, property damage and road traffic accidents, and that they added up to £72 224. It said the figures dated from January and were the latest available.
On Tuesday, a High Court judge in London allowed Mousa's family and 12 other families to proceed with a civil case against the government.
Prime Minister Tony Blair insisted on Wednesday that there was no evidence of "systematic abuse" carried out by British troops. He has come under pressure to explain why he and senior ministers only became aware of a damning international Red Cross report only a few days ago. The report, issued in February, detailed allegations of abuse.
The leaked Red Cross report says abuse of Iraqi prisoners by American soldiers at Abu Ghraib was widespread and routine and included brutality, humiliation and threats of "imminent execution."
It also alleged British mistreatment of Iraqi prisoners in southern Iraq, including the use of hoods, but nothing as severe as the accusations against the US forces.
- AP