Liberal Democrats call for MI6 'abduction' inquiry

5.08.38pm UTC (GMT +0000) Fri 30th Dec 2005

Sir Menzies Cambell MP - calling for an inquiry into claims "...that an MI6 Officer took part in the abduction and torture of 28 Pakistani terror suspects in Greece."

Liberal Democrat Foreign affairs spokesman Sir Menzies Campbell has called for an intelligence and security committee (ISC) inquiry into claims that an MI6 officer took part in the abduction and torture of 28 Pakistani terror suspects in Greece.

A Greek newspaper has published the names of 15 Greek agents and one MI6 operative it says were involved. The Pakistanis claim they were seized in Greece after the 7 July bombings in London. According to the BBC one of the individuals said he had had a gun placed in his mouth, while another said he had been beaten up.

Sir Menzies told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "I believe the appropriate course now would be for the intelligence and security committee of Parliament to investigate these matters. I think it is necessary for public confidence and also to get to the bottom of what are serious allegations for some further investigation to be carried out."

Sir Menzies said: "I think Parliament has a responsibility in these matters, as conferred to it by the legislation which established the ISC when John Major was Prime Minister."

Alekos Alavanos, the leader of Greece's opposition Coalition of the Left party, said of the UK government: "They have to say if British services were involved in this act, that is against the democratic traditions of Europe, against the laws of human rights of the European Union, against the laws on torture of the UN, against the constitutions of every democratic country in Europe."