Freed Iranian diplomat says US tortured him

An Iranian diplomat freed two months after being kidnapped in Iraq has said he was tortured by US forces while in captivity, Iran's Fars News Agency reported yesterday.

Iran has previously blamed the US military for his abduction but US officials have denied any role. Yesterday, the US military again denied playing any part in kidnapping the diplomat, or in his alleged torture.

The Iranian's comments follow the release of 15 British troops from Iran, where they say they were ill-treated.

Gunmen in Iraqi army uniforms kidnapped Jalal Sharafi in February. An Iraqi government official said at the time Sharafi had been seized by 30 gunmen wearing the uniforms of an Iraqi army unit that often works with the US military in Iraq. When Sharafi was released on Tuesday, Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshiyar Zebari said the diplomat was in good health and said he did not know who had held him. US military spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Christopher Garver said in Baghdad: "Multi-National Force Iraq was not involved in his kidnapping or any kind of claims of torture that he is now stating that he was subjected to."

US forces in Iraq have arrested a number of Iranians, including five men detained in the northern Iraqi city of Arbil and who Washington said had links to Iran's Revolutionary Guards and were helping Iraqi militants.