British Foreign Secretary William Hague has denied a claim that British troops systematically abused detainees in Iraq between 2003-2008.
The accusation has been presented to the International Criminal Court by British lawyers and a German human rights organisation.
Mr Hague said there is no need for the court to even investigate the complaint.
The dossier submitted by the Public Interest Lawyers group says some "at the highest levels" were most responsible, including General Sir Peter Wall and ex-Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon.
"These allegations are either under investigation or have been dealt with in a variety of ways," Mr Hague told Sky News.
The BBC reports PIL lodged a formal complaint to the ICC on Saturday in conjunction with the European Centre for Constitutional and Human Rights in Berlin.
They want an investigation under Article 15 of the Rome Statute.
