LONDON, England—Attorneys representing five Iraqi men released evidence that alleging that British soldiers tortured and executed up to 20 Iraqis after a battle in 2004.

The British military denied the claims, and said that the dead were insurgents that were killed in a gun battle after ambushing British troops.

Martyn Day and Phil Shiner, the attorneys representing the five Iraqis, said that witness testimony, death certificates and video footage of mutilated bodies all support their claims.  All five of the Iraqis claim to be laborers who were caught in the middle of the violence.  The lawyers have asked the British High Court to order a public inquiry into the May 14, 2004 battle near the town of Al Majar Al Kabir.

Day and Shiner claim that the five Iraqis were handcuffed and blindfolded and could hear other men screaming, moaning in pain and choking.  The men also claim to have heard gunfire.

Day said that the nature of a number of the injuries of the Iraqis would seem to be highly unusual in a battlefield.

“For example, quite how so many of the Iraqis sustained single gunshots to the head and from seemingly at close quarter, how did two of them end with their eyes gouged out, how did one have his penis cut off [and] some have torture wounds?” Day said.

The attorneys for the five men have called for the ongoing investigation, being conducted by the Royal Military Police be taken over by Scotland Yard.

For more information, please see:
Associated Press – UK Troops May Have Executed Iraqis – 23 February 2008

Gulf News – UK Troops Killed 20 Iraqis In Their Custody, Claim Lawyers – 23 February 2008

BBC – Claim UK Troops ‘Executed’ Iraqis – 22 February 2008

The Guardian – British troops executed 20 captives in southern Iraq, say lawyers– 22 February 2008