UK Intelligence May Have Given Agents Legal Immunity to Commit Torture - Reports

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - UK domestic intelligence agency MI5 may have given its agents legal immunity to commit torture and other criminal acts, The Guardian newspaper reported.

Lawyer Ben Jaffey made the comment while telling the investigatory powers tribunal about a secret policy introduced in 2012, The Guardian newspaper reported. The monitoring of the alleged practice was reportedly kept secret as well.

The investigatory powers tribunals' aim is usually to look into the activities of public bodies. Such tribunals are independent of the government.

READ MORE: Guantanamo Could Be Deterrent for Daesh Fighters — Professor

Claims were heard as part of the case put forward by several human rights groups, including Privacy International, Reprieve, and the Pat Finucane Centre in Northern Ireland.

In June, the UK Intelligence and Security parliamentary committee said that the UK intelligence services had been taking part in mistreatment and rendition of terror suspects in 2001-2010.

Additionally, the committee said in a report that the UK intelligence services were aware of reports of mistreatment in 38 cases in 2002 carried out by the United States.