[JURIST] The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) [official website] ruled [judgment; press release] 13-4 on Tuesday that the UK did not violate international law in regards to the capture and detention of Iraqi national Tarek Hassan. Hassan was captured in 2003 by UK forces and detained at Camp Bucca in eastern Iraq. Hassan’s brother claimed that Tarek Hassan was subject to torture and execution while detained by UK forces. The court found that the UK had jurisdiction to capture Hassan and was not in violation of the European Convention on Human Rights [official website] in regards to his detention. In regards to the claim that Hassan was tortured and executed while detained, the court found, “that there was no evidence to suggest that Tarek Hassan had been ill-treated while in detention or that the UK authorities had in any way been responsible for his death.” UK Defense Secretary Michael Fallon [official profile] welcomed [Telegraph report] the ruling.

The Iraq War [JURIST backgrounder] was plagued with accusations of war crimes and atrocities, aimed at the different parties and countries involved in the conflict. In September 2012 Nobel Peace Prize laureate Desmond Tutu called [JURIST report] for former US president George W Bush and former UK prime minister Tony Blair to stand trial at the International Criminal Court for their roles in the 2003 invasion of Iraq. In November 2011 the Malaysian Kuala Lumpur Foundation to Criminalise War found Bush and Blair guilty of war crimes after a symbolic trial [JURIST report], in which the duo was convicted on charges in connection to the invasion of Iraq. During that same timeframe a UK appeals court ruled [JURIST report] that a special commission charged with investigating the alleged abuse of Iraqi civilians in British-controlled detention facilities between March 2003 and December 2008 lacked independence. The Court of Appeals ordered Defense Secretary Liam Fox to reconsider his refusal to open a single public inquiry into allegations of UK military abuse.