The British Ministry of Defense says that around 28 Iraqis were killed in the fighting while nine others were detained.

But lawyers, basing their evidence on witness statements, death certificates and video footage shot by the relatives of the victims, allege that 22 people were killed while in British custody and that nine survived torture and abuse.

“This incident, if proven, is off the scale for abuse committed by either British or American troops serving in Iraq,” lawyer Phil Shiner told Reuters.

“If these harrowing allegations are proven, then you’d be pushed to be able to put it in context — it would be the worst conduct by the British army in the last 100 years.”

read more…