UK (Parliament Politics Magazine) – Campaigners slam Labour for keeping flawed intel-sharing rules, warning they risk enabling torture and harming the UK’s human rights commitments.
As reported by The Guardian, Labour has come under fire for backing intelligence policies it once opposed, accused of enabling UK involvement in serious overseas rights violations.
British intelligence-sharing rules were blamed for incidents in cases like Jagtar Singh Johal and Ali Kololo, raising hopes Labour would enforce tougher policies.
Senior MPs and NGOs warn that the government’s “light-touch” review of OSJA guidelines and intelligence-sharing principles will likely maintain significant flaws.
Campaigners fear Labour may keep ministers’ authority to approve UK involvement in cases posing real threats of torture or capital punishment.
What role did UK intelligence play in Johal’s alleged torture in India?
British activist Johal was allegedly tortured while detained in India after UK intelligence reportedly provided a key tip leading to his arrest.
Ali Kololo received a wrongful death sentence for allegedly attacking British tourists after the Metropolitan Police aided Kenyan officials.
What did David Davis say about UK intelligence and torture risks?
The Conservative MP and former cabinet minister David Davis stated,
“These policies are not a partisan issue; they are vital safeguards designed to prevent UK actions contributing to people being tortured or sentenced to death.”
He said,
“Ministers should never be able to sign off on intelligence being shared or UK security assistance being granted where there is a risk of torture.”
Mr Davis stated,
“That was true under the previous Conservative government and it’s true now under Labour. We should never forget that it was bogus intelligence acquired under torture that led to the justification of the Iraq war.”
He added,
“It would be a grave error to leave these failed policies as they are, and the government must avoid anything that looks like a Whitehall stitch-up, not least as this would have profoundly negative consequences for the UK’s global reputation.”
Which NGOs have written to David Lammy over policy flaws?
The following organizations have written a joint letter to David Lammy:
- Reprieve
- Amnesty International UK
- Freedom from Torture
- Omega Research Foundation
- Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy
- Unredacted UK
These NGOs warned that the current policy reviews “may not sufficiently address the very serious flaws with the existing policy.”
What did Alistair Carmichael say about Labour’s stance on torture policy?
The Liberal Democrat MP and former cabinet minister Alistair Carmichael stated,
“I would never have expected a Labour government to rubber-stamp Boris Johnson’s torture policy while paying lip service to human rights concerns, but that appears to be what is happening here.”
He added,
“There is disturbing evidence that existing policies on intelligence-sharing and overseas security assistance leave the UK at risk of being mixed up in torture in some way. These policies need a proper overhaul, with input from victims of the previous failed approach, not the consultation-in-name-only that is going on at the moment.”
What did Sir Andrew Mitchell say about the OSJA policy’s failures?
Sir Andrew Mitchell, a Conservative MP and former deputy foreign secretary, stated,
“Any review worth its salt should be learning the lessons of Ali Kololo, and indeed seeking Mr Kololo’s input after everything he has been put through. The OSJA policy’s abject failure to prevent this case and others suggests it is fundamentally broken. No responsible minister would want to go beyond the law and get mixed up in torture or the death penalty, and the policy should make clear this is never permissible.”
What did Dan Dolan say about the UK’s human rights policies and torture?
Dan Dolan, Reprieve’s deputy executive director, stated,
“These two core human rights policies of the British government have in the last decade left a trail of people who have suffered torture and the death penalty, with sadly the UK’s assistance.”
He added,
“If this government fails to follow through on its recognition in opposition that these policies are fatally flawed, then it will let down the survivors of human rights abuses where the UK has played a role.”
What did the Foreign Office say about engaging with civil society on security guidance?
A Foreign Office spokesperson stated it was “engaging with external stakeholders” and “recognising the important perspectives of civil society”.
They added,
“The guidance will set out how we ensure the UK’s overseas security and justice assistance work will meet our human rights obligations and values.”
Which countries did Reprieve’s OSJA review link to UK security aid failures?
Reprieve’s submission to the OSJA review highlights failures under the previous government to block UK assistance to human rights abusers in:
- Libya
- Sri Lanka
- Bahrain
- Pakistan
- Sierra Leone
- Saudi Arabia