LONDON, Dec. 15 (Xinhua) -- British troops breached the Geneva Conventions by subjecting four Iraqi civilians to cruel and inhumane treatment, the country's high court ruled Thursday, The Guardian reported.
The rule follows an international criminal court conclusion 10 days ago that British troops committed war crimes against Iraqi detainees, the report said.
The test case at the high court could "pave the way" for the British Ministry of Defense to settle another 628 claims, which could cost the government more than 1 million pounds (1.34 million U.S. dollars), the Times reported.
The four Iraqis claimed that they had been detained unlawfully and were abused by British forces, which includes hooding them and taking turns to run over their backs, the Guardian report said.
None of them were engaged in terrorist activity or threatened the security of Iraq, even though there had been "reasonable suspicion" when they were first captured, the report noted.
The Geneva Conventions and their Additional Protocols are international treaties that protect people who do not take part in the fighting, such as civilians, medics and aid workers, and those who can no longer fight, including the wounded and prisoners of war, according to the official website of the International Committee of the Red Cross.
