Pilot loses war torture appeal

A former Kuwaiti air force pilot failed in a new attempt yesterday to sue his government in England. The Court of Appeal ruled that Kuwait could plead state immunity although the alleged torture and intimidation broke international law.

Sulaiman al-Adsani, 35, a British national and citizen of Kuwait, joined resistance fighters after being grounded by the Iraqi invasion. He alleges that, when the Gulf war ended, he was held and beaten in a Kuwaiti state security prison.