Court Rules Britain 'Not Responsible' For 2003 Death Of Iraqi

The European Court of Human Rights has ruled that Britain is not responsible for the apparent torture and execution of an Iraqi captured by British forces in 2003.

Tarek Hassan was arrested by British soldiers in April 2003, shortly after the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq, but Britain says he was released the following month.

Hassan's body was discovered north of Baghdad in September 2003. His hands were tied and he had been shot dead.

His brother, Khadim Hassan, who had been a senior military official under dictator Saddam Hussein's regime, brought the case to the European court in Strasbourg, claiming the British were responsible for the death and signs of torture found on Tarek's body.

But the court ruled that Tarek had been screened, found to be a civilian, and released long before his death.

Based on reporting by AFP and telegraph.co.uk