The ‘insurgent’ found in house full of bombs
ABD Al-Waheed was detained for days after his arrest in Basra in 2007.
According to soldiers, the 5 -yearold was found on a sofa handling a roadside bomb in a house that contained mortars and plastic explosives.
The three-times married father-ofeight denied the claims and said he was asleep with his wife in bed.
He alleged he was beaten by the British soldiers before being transported to Basra airport and tortured with ‘electric cutters’ used to pinch his flesh during interrogation.
The suspected bombmaker was flown to London last year to fight his case – the first of its kind. He claimed his human rights were breached when he was mistreated during his detention and imprisonment.
Just weeks before Al-Waheed’s arrest, Private Luke Simpson, 21, was killed when an improvised explosive device (IED) exploded close to his vehicle. The blast on February 9, 2007, also caused Captain Ibrar Ali to have his right hand amputated while Private Christopher Herbert had his leg below his right knee removed.
Following this attack, Captain Gareth Fulton commanded a team on a raid where they arrested Al-Waheed.
When soldiers arrived at the property, they found mortars, plastic explosives and IED components.
Captain Fulton, who served two
tours of Iraq and one in Afghanistan, admitted in a hearing last year it would have been tempting for the troops to assault the suspect.
But he remained adamant the detainee was not attacked.
Lance Corporal David Turner, who served with the Royal Engineers before leaving the Army, also gave evidence to say he did not see a soldier mistreat the detainee.
Al-Waheed was arrested at the property, which was his in-laws’ house in Basra. His lawyers said it was a case of mistaken identity and his brother-inlaw was the target of the raid.
Derek Sweeting QC, for the MoD, accused Al-Waheed of telling lies about his treatment and ‘making it up’. A judgment handed down yesterday said Al-Waheed’s allegations of mistreatment were ‘greatly exaggerated’. But Mr Justice Leggatt said there was evidence showing he had been beaten, punched and had suffered a painful finger injury.
He was awarded £15,000 in ‘respect of the beating’ he suffered after his arrest, and another £15,000 for additional inhuman treatment. Al-Waheed was given £3,300 more in compensation because he was unlawfully detained for 33 of those days.