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British judge to lead inquiry into death of Iraqi hotel clerk
A senior judge will lead a public inquiry next month into the killing of an Iraqi hotel clerk in British custody nearly five years ago, Britain's Defence Ministry said on Monday.
- AP
- Published: 17:18 July 21, 2008
London: A senior judge will lead a public inquiry next month into the killing of an Iraqi hotel clerk in British custody nearly five years ago, Britain's Defence Ministry said on Monday.
Lord Justice William Gage will oversee a public inquiry into the death of Baha Mousa, who died in September 2003 after being detained in the southern Iraqi city of Basra by British soldiers.
Mousa, a 26-year-old hotel clerk, was among a group of 10 men detained as suspected insurgents.
A post-mortem found Mousa suffered 93 different injuries, including a broken nose and fractured ribs. It said he died of asphyxia, caused by a stress position that soldiers forced him to maintain.
A major legal case involving the abuse and torture of Mousa and nine other Iraqi civilians was settled earlier this month.
Lawyers for the victims said the Defence Ministry agreed to pay out just under 3 million pounds (US$6 million) in compensation.
One of the soldiers involved, Corporal Donald Payne, was dismissed by the army and sentenced to a year in prison in 2007 over the killing.
Britain's Defence Ministry agreed in May to hold a public inquiry into Mousa's death following a campaign by lawyers.
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