A former army soldier, who was tortured while on duty in the 1980s, should be recognized as a veteran who is entitled to various benefits, the government civil rights panel said Tuesday.

The soldier suffered through torture, including beatings, waterboarding and sleep deprivation, for a week over suspicions that he was behind the leak of confidential documents while serving as an administrative clerk in a military unit in 1985.

He was later found to be innocent, though he has since suffered the side effects of torture.

In 2015, the soldier petitioned the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs to put him on a beneficiary list for military veterans.

Still, the ministry rejected his request on the grounds that there was no record of torture. The rejection prompted the former soldier to turn to the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission for help.

The commission said it has confirmed that the man did suffer through torture after investigating army officers and soldiers he was on duty with, and recommended to the ministry that he be registered as a veteran so that he could be entitled to a monthly state subsidy and various other social benefits.

"There is medical opinion that the former soldier is currently suffering from mental illnesses such as post-traumatic stress disorder due to the torture while serving in the military," the commission said.

The ministry said it will review his case by taking into account the commission's recommendation. (Yonhap)