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'I was tortured on British orders'
Farid Hilali, a 36-year-old Moroccan and a terror suspect made the allegation in a witness statement.
A suspected extremist wanted in Spain over his alleged ties to the September 11 attacks in the United States alleged Tuesday he had been tortured in Arab countries on the orders of British intelligence.
Farid Hilali, a 36-year-old Moroccan who is battling against extradition to Spain, made the allegation in a witness statement put before the High Court in London. The move triggered an adjournment to allow the British government to respond.
In the statement, Hilali said he believed the only reason Spain wanted him was "so I can be deported back to Morocco where I will immediately be arrested and tortured".
He added: "I also wish to state on record that the torture I have suffered at the hands of the intelligence service in United Arab Emirates and Morocco have been on the direct orders of the British Intelligence Service in the UK.
"The British Intelligence Service have been directly responsible for the torture I have suffered, and are now directly complicit in ensuring I am removed from the UK by whatever means necessary and sent back to Morocco."
Hilali has been identified by Spanish investigative judge Baltasar Garzon as a conspirator in the September 11, 2001, attacks.
He is believed to be the mystery caller who telephoned Imad Eddin Barakat Yarkas, the alleged head of the Madrid al-Qaeda cell, in August 2001, weeks before the suicide hijackings of airliners that crashed in New York, Washington and Pensylvania.
The British High Court judges agreed Tuesday to halt proceedings. They said there would be a further hearing on February 10 so directions could be made for the full hearing.
Issues likely to be raised then include the venue of the hearing and whether Hilali, who is being held at Whitemoor Prison in Cambridgeshire, will be able to attend in person.
