UK Settles Torture Complicity Lawsuit: The Briefing

The Parties Involved

• The Claimant: Abu Zubaydah, a Palestinian man held at Guantanamo Bay for 20 years without charge. He was the first captive to undergo the CIA’s “enhanced interrogation” techniques.
• The Defendant: The UK Government, specifically representing the actions of intelligence agencies MI5 and MI6.

The Core Allegation

Zubaydah’s legal team argued that while the CIA performed the physical torture, British intelligence was complicit. They alleged that UK agents:

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1. Knew Zubaydah was being tortured at secret “black sites.”
2. Continued to send lists of questions to the CIA to be used during those interrogations.
3. Requested specific information while knowing the methods used to extract it were illegal.

The Outcome

• The Payout: The UK government agreed to pay a “substantial sum” (estimated to be in the hundreds of thousands of pounds) to Zubaydah.
• The Caveat: The government settled without admitting liability. This allows them to end the legal battle without a formal court finding of guilt against the intelligence services.
• The Precedent: This is a historic case because it is the first time the UK has paid damages to an individual who remains in custody at Guantanamo Bay.

Why it Matters

This settlement follows years of legal maneuvering. In late 2023, the UK Supreme Court ruled that Zubaydah had the right to sue the UK government in English courts, even though the torture happened abroad. By settling now, the UK avoids a public trial that could have forced the disclosure of sensitive intelligence documents regarding the “War on Terror.”