Guantánamo prisoner can sue UK government, supreme court rules

Palestinian national claims British intelligence services asked CIA to put questions to him while he was being tortured in black sites'

A Guantanamo Bay prisoner can sue the UK government in England and Wales over allegations that British intelligence services asked the CIA to put questions to him while he was being tortured in black sites", the UK's highest court has ruled.

The supreme court said MI5 and MI6 were subject to the law of England and Wales and not - as the government had attempted to argue - the six different countries where Abu Zubaydah was held.

There was no suggestion that the UK intelligence services were aware or ever took steps to find out where Abu Zubaydah was.

He was rendered to and held in each of the six countries by the CIA without any reference - or access - to the laws of those countries.

The number of black sites in which the claimant was held diminishes the significance of the law of any one of them".

Abu Zubaydah's captors and those who administered the ill-treatment were not agents of any of the six countries (save possibly in relation to Guantanamo Bay).

The alleged torts were committed by UK intelligence services in England and Wales.

MI5 and MI6 were acting in their official capacity in the purported exercise of powers conferred under the law of England and Wales".