British military police are investigating the deaths of two men in custody in Iraq, the Ministry of Defence said on Wednesday.
It is understood the men were in the custody of soldiers from Britain’s Black Watch regiment and died in separate incidents on May 13 and May 18.
A defence ministry representative said: ”There is an investigation by the Special Investigation Branch. Any death in custody is looked into as a matter of course.”
The Daily Mail reported on Wednesday that an inquiry was underway into allegations that two civilians died at a detention centre in the southern city of Basra after mistreatment.
In what appeared to be a separate incident, two British soldiers were ordered out of Iraq after allegations that prisoners of war were beaten up, the Ministry of Defence representative said. The soldiers, whose regiment has not been revealed, were thought to have been flown to their barracks in Germany.
It is understood the allegations involved a prisoner’s face being punched, resulting in a black eye.
The defence ministry representative did not reveal where the assault is alleged to have taken place, but said: ”We can confirm that an alleged incident has been reported involving the beating of Iraqi POWs.
”Two soldiers have been returned to barracks pending an investigation.
”We would take a very dim view of poor treatment of POWs and if the case is found to be answered, we will act accordingly.”
The allegations came days after the defence ministry said military police had questioned a British soldier in custody after photographs emerged showing troops allegedly ”torturing” Iraqi prisoners of war.
Photographic developers in England were thought to have called police after they became concerned about a number of pictures on a roll of film that had been handed in to their shop for processing.
One of the images showed an Iraqi POW gagged and bound, hanging in netting from a fork-lift truck driven by a British soldier, according to the Sun newspaper.
”Others allegedly depict soldiers committing sex acts near captured Iraqis,” the tabloid said.
Britain contributed 45 000 military personnel, a naval task force and more than 100 aircraft to the war, and British forces currently occupy the southern part of Iraq. An investigation is already underway into allegations that a colonel in the Royal Irish Regiment, Tim Collins, abused Iraqi POWs and civilians. – Sapa-AFP