The British government doesn't "participate in, solicit, encourage or condone" the use of torture for any purpose, the British foreign secretary said. British Foreign Secretary William said his office was determined to strengthen reporting mechanisms for torture or mistreatment for overseas staff.
"The U.K. government's policy is clear," he said in a statement. "We do not participate in, solicit, encourage or condone the use of torture or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment for any purpose."
Six former detainees from the U.S. prison at a navy base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, sued the British government last year for its alleged role in abuse at the facility.
A document from the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office in 2002 contains a handwritten note by Tony Blair, who was prime minister at the time, raising concerns about detainee treatment, the BBC learned in September.