Scotland Yard launch probe into MI6 torture claims

Scotland Yard today launched a new investigation into allegations of torture by British Intelligence officers operating abroad.

The probe will focus on claims that a foreign citizen was tortured with the knowledge of MI6 agents.

The investigation follows a request from the Attorney General Baroness Scotland to the Met. MI6 had earlier referred the matter the Attorney General.

The case follows the earlier decision to begin a similar police probe into separate allegations of torture against Binyam Mohammed, a British resident, who was allegedly abused with the complicity of MI5 officers.

The case had been referred to the Attorney General by MI6. The investigation is ongoing.

The probe will be overseen by the Met's specialist crime directorate, which is headed by Assistant Commission Cressida Dick.

The Met is continuing to investigate the earlier allegations involving Mr Mohammed, an Ethiopian citizen now resident in Britain after being detained at Guantanamo Bay, who claims that he was subject to torture while in detention in Pakistan and Morocco.

The move comes almost exactly a month after the head of MI6 insisted that there has been "no torture and no complicity in torture" by the service.

Sir John Scarlett said his officers had to protect the UK against terrorism but stressed they were also committed to human rights and liberal democracy.

Foreign Secretary David Miliband and Home Secretary Alan Johnson also admitted last month that they could never eliminate the risk of mistreatment of suspects but said allegations of wrongdoing were taken seriously.