Lawyer: Open torture case to public

LONDON, March 8 (UPI) -- A British civil case involving allegations of torture at Guantanamo Bay should be open to the public, a lawyer for a former detainee said.

"This is really about the government avoiding embarrassment for the reality of their collaboration with the U.S. and all that happened, rather than any real national security issues," said Louise Christian, a lawyer for former detainee Martin Mubanga.

Mubanga is one of seven former detainees seeking damages from the British government for what they say was false imprisonment and torture facilitated by British security services working with the U.S. military at the detention facility in Cuba. The seven were never charged with an offense.

Lawyers for the seven have appealed a high-court ruling that supports the British government's request to hear the case in a closed court because sensitive intelligence documents are involved.

In a hearing Monday, the lawyers planned to argue that a closed hearing goes against ancient principles of English law, The Guardian reported.