Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether the Crown Prosecution Service and the Metropolitan Police War Crimes Team have been tasked (1) to secure and preserve admissible evidence of torture or inhuman treatment of Palestinian detainees since 7 October 2023, (2) to assess potential command responsibility, and (3) to issue guidance to immigration and border officials in connection with any person present in the UK who is reasonably suspected of responsibility for torture or inhuman treatment of Palestinian detainees, consistent with Articles 5–7 of the UN Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment and the UK’s non-refoulement obligations under Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights.

The War Crimes Team at the Metropolitan Police Counter Terrorism Command are responsible for the investigation of allegations of Core International Crimes CIC). The Counter Terrorism Division within the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) is responsible for the review and prosecution of CIC.

The CPS will consider any information that is referred by the police and any decision to prosecute will be considered on a case-by case basis and in accordance with the Code for Crown Prosecutors.

The CPS has also published War Crimes/Crimes Against Humanity Referral Guidelines in regard to the investigation and prosecution of allegations of war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide and torture (Core International Crimes), in order to enable the process for investigations, arrests and prosecutions to be conducted in an orderly and transparent way.