'British MI5 knew about torture Guantanamo '

london - The British security service MI5 was fully aware of torture by the US authorities in Guantánamo Bay. Employees of the British service were even present in December 2002, when prisoners in the camp were tortured in Cuba.

A former employee of MI5 want with that information come forward for a parliamentary inquiry, reported the British newspaper The Sunday Times based on high security sources.

If the former employee is allowed to speak in parliament, which is the first time that it is proved that MI5 was aware of the systematic mistreatment and torture in Guantánamo Bay. The British government has for a long time do not want to say how much they knew about the events in the prison camp. However, it was always said that the British do not participate in the torture and would not condone.

The former medeweker wishes to transfer information to British Intelligence and Security Committee (ISC), which is investigating whether Britain has been complicit in torture. That investigation was opened in 2014 after a report by the American Parliamentary Intelligence Committee had revealed that the CIA often tortured detainees in Guantánamo Bay.

The Americans used controversial methods of torture, including waterboarding. In this technique inmates feel that they are drowning. Also, prisoners were placed in stress positions, wherein the weight of the prisoner rest on one or two muscles in the body, and was withheld prisoners sleep.

If given the former employee of MI5 permission to speak to the committee, which probably will happen behind closed doors. Dominic Grieve, chairman of the ISC, has previously hinted that former Prime Minister Tony Blair may be also summoned to testify.