The court-martial of three British soldiers accused of abusing Iraqi detainees could be unfairly influenced by further public comment on the case, the judge has warned.
The remarks of Mr Michael Hunter, came on the third day of the court-martial, prompted by photographs showing Iraqi men forced to simulate sex acts and other degrading acts.
The photographs were taken in a humanitarian warehouse known as Camp Bread Basket, outside the Iraqi city of Basra on May 15th, 2003.
"I ask that great care be taken by those who find it necessary to make public statements not to say anything that might prejudice the fairness of this trial," said Mr Hunter.
The judge's remarks yesterday were directed at the British Prime Minister, Mr Tony Blair, who described the photographs on Wednesday as "shocking and appalling". He told parliament that the images should not be allowed to "tarnish the good name, fully deserved" of British soldiers and that the guilty men would be held to account.
Yesterday there were concerns that these remarks could be seen to have prejudged the three men on trial, all from the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers: Cpl Daniel Kenyon (33) and Lance Cpls Mark Cooley (25) and Darren Larkin (30). The men deny all but one charge against them.
Mr Hunter said the court-martial recognised that Mr Blair was answering a question which could not have been sensibly refused during Prime Minister's Questions.
A spokesman for the Prime Minister said last night: "Downing Street takes full note of what Judge Advocate Michael Hunter has said."
The British Attorney General, Lord Goldsmith, sent a letter to British newspaper editors advising them not to publish information that could prejudice proceedings at the British army base in the north-west German city of Osnabrück.
Maj Dan Taylor, the commander of Camp Bread Basket, began his testimony yesterday shortly before the adjournment yesterday. He is said to have devised the plan to stop looting of the warehouse, called Operation Ali Baba. The three men on trial allege he gave an order for soldiers to catch looters and "work them hard".
The prosecution has admitted this was an unauthorised order that convenes the Geneva Convention, but says it was the zeal with which the soldiers carried out the order that led to the alleged abuse.