Concern over rise in requests for UK to share intelligence despite torture risks

The number of requests for UK ministerial approval of intelligence-sharing where there was a real risk of torture, unlawful killing or extraordinary rendition has more than doubled in a year.

The human rights group Reprieve said that the increase to eight cases in 2022 – from three in 2021 – in which approval was sought for intelligence-sharing with overseas authorities where there was a real risk of torture, unlawful killing or extraordinary rendition was concerning.

Dan Dolan, Reprieve’s director of policy and advocacy, said: “These ministerial referrals represent real people at risk of being tortured – something our government professes to find abhorrent.

UK government policy is that it “does not participate in, solicit, encourage or condone” any of these activities but critics say that the ministerial approval system contradicts this statement.

Monday’s Commons debate concerned the investigatory powers (amendment) bill and included discussion of a new clause three tabled by the Conservative MP David Davis, which would create an absolute prohibition on handing over information to an overseas authority where there was a possibility of torture or CIDT.

Labour’s Dan Jarvis, the shadow security minister, said clause three “raises important issues of accountability when sharing intelligence with foreign governments that could result in torture, not least in relation to the parameters of the decision-making process by foreign secretaries … [and] raises important questions about the sufficiency of the Fulford principles”.