Latest news with #AdnanMalik
Telegraph
17-07-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
WhatsApp message urges Afghans to sue Britain
Afghans have been encouraged to sue the British Government over the 'kill list' data breach in a WhatsApp message urging them to contact UK law firms. The message gave details of how to lodge a legal complaint through Barings, a Manchester-based law firm that specialises in privacy and data breach cases. It provided the web address for a portal for Barings where Afghans can complete a compensation claim form, and was widely circulated among Afghans living not only in Afghanistan but also Pakistan and the UK. Barings has 1,000 Afghan clients suing the Government over the data breach and is adding 100 claims a day following the lifting of the super-injunction covering the case on Tuesday. Up until Tuesday, the law firm - like the media - was prevented from highlighting the data breach or the existence of the injunction. Barings said it first became aware of the data leak in March after being contacted by an Afghan who found the company in an online search for firms specialising in such cases. In the space of a few weeks, 650 Afghans had instructed Barings to act on their behalf. However, Adnan Malik, the lawyer heading up the group action, said: 'We didn't send any WhatsApp messages.' He said that all Barings correspondence with clients was by email and he had never seen the spreadsheet containing the records of 25,000 Afghans who had applied for asylum in the UK, which was accidentally leaked in February 2022 . The Ministry of Defence was first made aware of the data breach 18 months later in August 2023 when a case worker warned officials of the circulation of a 'kill list'. Mr Malik informed the Government Legal Department in April that his firm was acting for Afghans over the data breach. On April 15, the Government slapped a superinjunction on him preventing him from discussing the case. '100 new cases a day' Mr Malik said: 'We had about 800 cases before the injunction was lifted and now we have 1,000. We are getting 100 a day coming in. No doubt the Government wanted the injunction because this is going to cost the Government a lot of money.' Each claim is worth a 'five-figure sum', according to Barings. With 25,000 names on the list – and extended families also put in danger of reprisals by the Taliban – the final legal bill could exceed a quarter of a billion pounds. The data breach alone could be worth up to £10,000 per claimant with much bigger compensation for any resulting risk to life. Under the terms of the conditional fee agreement clients must sign, Barings receive their fees and expenses – capped at 25 per cent – of any successful claim. The Government, which has already spent billions flying people endangered by the leak out of Afghanistan, has said it will fight the compensation case, although the MoD declined to say on what grounds. On its website, Barings states: 'Barings Law are helping Afghan nationals who assisted British Forces seek justice after the Ministry of Defence exposed their identities, placing them at risk of serious harm. The MoD has tried to suppress the data breach for nearly three years by taking out a super-injunction.' Separately, a former Afghan soldier who fled to Iran because his name appeared on the leaked spreadsheet, said he had been added to a WhatsApp group that included British phone numbers allegedly belonging to three lawyers based in London. There is no evidence the lawyers were genuine or worked for reputable firms in the UK. The man, who worked alongside the British military in Afghanistan, said: 'I was added to a WhatsApp group with three other British numbers. They said they were lawyers in London and could help me get money from the UK Government. 'They said they would help me get thousands of pounds from their Government and asked me to send them my banking details and sign a letter to confirm they are my lawyers.' The individuals, who used random characters instead of real names in their biographical details, told him they would bring him to Britain and that he should pay them 30 per cent after receiving compensation from the government. 'I thought it was a scam and told my British contacts about it,' he said. When the Afghan man asked how they found him, the purported lawyers said 'that's not important,' he added.
The Irish Sun
16-07-2025
- Politics
- The Irish Sun
MoD braced for £1billion compensation bill after 100k lives put at risk of Taliban death squads by Afghan leak scandal
DEFENCE chiefs are braced for a £1billion compensation bill over a data breach which revealed Afghans who supported UK forces. Around 100,000 were put at risk of Taliban death squads when their names or loved ones' were revealed in 2022 — with the blunder then 'covered up' by a UK gagging order. Advertisement 7 Evacuation of Afghans in 2021 after the Taliban took control - ahead of the Conservative Government's 2023 secret airlift, codenamed Operation Rubific Credit: Getty 7 The Taliban has stated it is actively hunting those revealed on the leaked list Credit: AP 7 Around 100,000 Afghans were put at risk of Taliban death squads when their names or loved ones' were revealed in 2022 Thousands could sue the MoD after the leak was made public this week. Almost 900 Afghans on the 'kill list' email leak are ready to sue — with lawyers saying thousands more are poised to join them. Legal sources claimed victims whose lives were endangered could be entitled 'to five-figure payouts'. Adnan Malik, at Manchester firm Barings Law, which is representing nearly 900, said: 'The victims have been exposed to not just financial harm, but the real threat of violence and death. Advertisement READ MORE ON AFGHAN DATA LEAK In some cases, these threats have been tragically carried out. Monies claimed will vary substantially between claimants, we would expect sums upwards of five figures for each person affected.' That could see the overall compensation bill pass £1billion. The February 2022 leak was caused by a Special Forces soldier who accidentally shared a list of 18,714 people who had applied to flee to Britain in the wake of the Advertisement Most read in The Sun The list included their last-known locations, how they served British forces, and in some instances who supported their claims — including MPs, Special Forces and spies. The leak, which included details of a 'secret route' for some of those affected to come to the UK, was only discovered when excerpts were put on Facebook in August 2023. Taliban warns thousands of Afghans secretly airlifted to UK 'we will HUNT you down' The next month, the Tory government used a superinjunction to stop journalists reporting the breach. It was extended until being lifted by a High Court judge this Tuesday. A defence source said yesterday: 'People on that list had fought with British forces in Afghanistan. Advertisement 'They fought against the Taliban. First of all we let the Taliban take over, and then when these people came to us for help we put their lives in even more danger.' The potential huge bill emerged as Nigel Farage claimed 'convicted sex offenders' are among the The Reform UK leader said the rescue of almost 20,000 Afghans is a risk to women's safety — triggering a row with Labour and the Tories. Defence Secretary John Healey insisted everyone had been checked 'carefully' for any criminal records. And he said if Mr Farage had any hard evidence, he should report it to police. Advertisement Shadow Chancellor Mel Stride also said Mr Farage should provide evidence for his claims. PM Sir Keir Starmer said the previous Tory government had serious questions to answer over the leak. Hunting people down Sir Ben Wallace, Defence Secretary at the time, insisted there was not a cover-up and the gagging order was to protect at-risk Afghans, and he made 'no apology' for doing so. Sir Ben also said he applied for a four-month injunction and did not know why it was converted into a superinjunction in September 2023, when Grant Shapps had taken over as Defence Secretary. Advertisement 7 The list contained the details of 20,000 Afghans whose country had been taken over by the Taliban Credit: Alamy 7 The leaked list also included the names of UK sponsors and MI6 spies who could have become targets of the Taliban in Afghanistan Credit: Getty Ex-Tory MP Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg said Mr Shapps had questions to answer. Mr Shapps has yet to comment. Meanwhile, Zia Yusuf, head of Reform's Department of Government Efficiency, has launched a petition calling for an independent, judge-led inquiry. Advertisement He said: 'We want to know who made these decisions.' Lawyers insisted the injunction was necessary to protect the lives of people who were named and It included hundreds of Afghan Special Forces who had served in units known as the Triples, alongside Britain's SAS and SBS. The Triples conducted thousands of night raids against senior Taliban leaders and counter-narcotics operations. Advertisement Last night, Taliban sources claimed they have had the list for years — and A Taliban official said: 'We got the list from the internet during the first days when it was leaked. 'A special unit has been launched to find them and make sure they do not work with Britain. We've been calling and visiting their family members to track them down.' 7 The potential huge bill emerged as Nigel Farage claimed 'convicted sex offenders' are among the Afghans secretly airlifted into the UK Credit: PA Advertisement 7 Defence Secretary John Healey insisted everyone had been checked 'carefully' for any criminal records Credit: PA In 2023, the Government launched a secret airlift, codenamed Operation Rubific, to smuggle around 4,500 people on the list to Britain. They are among 34,000 Afghans who have been offered new lives in Britain since the Taliban takeover. That number is expected to rise to 43,000 and the Government predicts the total cost will be £7billion. An MoD spokesman yesterday insisted a £1billion compensation bill was 'pure speculation'. Advertisement He said: 'The Government inherited a deeply complex situation and since taking office, have taken appropriate action in line with the level of risk these individuals faced. 'We will do everything possible to defend against any compensation claims and any we do get, we will fight them hard.' MINISTERS' BLAME GAME FORMER Tory ministers have turned on each other as a blame game erupted over the Afghan data leak. Former PM Liz Truss accused She said she was 'shocked by the secrecy' of And she demanded those responsible in governments and the bureaucracy needed to be held to account. But Sir Ben hit back by claiming Ms Truss — Foreign Secretary under Boris Johnson in February 2022 — approved the plan in office. He replied to her X post: 'Oh dear Liz. Not quite. You were part of the Cabinet that approved the relocation of Afghans and the wider Home Office refugee scheme.' He also defended his actions, writing: 'I make no apology for applying to the court for an injunction at the time. Imagine if the Taliban had been alerted to the existence of this list.' Sir Keir Starmer said both former ministers had 'serious questions to answer' about the airlift that may ultimately cost an estimated £7billion. Ex-Tory MP And Reform UK's Zia Yusuf has called for a judge-led inquiry into the operation.
Scottish Sun
16-07-2025
- Politics
- Scottish Sun
MoD braced for £1billion compensation bill after 100k lives put at risk of Taliban death squads by Afghan leak scandal
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) DEFENCE chiefs are braced for a £1billion compensation bill over a data breach which revealed Afghans who supported UK forces. Around 100,000 were put at risk of Taliban death squads when their names or loved ones' were revealed in 2022 — with the blunder then 'covered up' by a UK gagging order. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 7 Evacuation of Afghans in 2021 after the Taliban took control - ahead of the Conservative Government's 2023 secret airlift, codenamed Operation Rubific Credit: Getty 7 The Taliban has stated it is actively hunting those revealed on the leaked list Credit: AP 7 Around 100,000 Afghans were put at risk of Taliban death squads when their names or loved ones' were revealed in 2022 Thousands could sue the MoD after the leak was made public this week. Almost 900 Afghans on the 'kill list' email leak are ready to sue — with lawyers saying thousands more are poised to join them. Legal sources claimed victims whose lives were endangered could be entitled 'to five-figure payouts'. Adnan Malik, at Manchester firm Barings Law, which is representing nearly 900, said: 'The victims have been exposed to not just financial harm, but the real threat of violence and death. In some cases, these threats have been tragically carried out. Monies claimed will vary substantially between claimants, we would expect sums upwards of five figures for each person affected.' That could see the overall compensation bill pass £1billion. The February 2022 leak was caused by a Special Forces soldier who accidentally shared a list of 18,714 people who had applied to flee to Britain in the wake of the 2021 Taliban takeover of Afghanistan. The list included their last-known locations, how they served British forces, and in some instances who supported their claims — including MPs, Special Forces and spies. The leak, which included details of a 'secret route' for some of those affected to come to the UK, was only discovered when excerpts were put on Facebook in August 2023. Taliban warns thousands of Afghans secretly airlifted to UK 'we will HUNT you down' The next month, the Tory government used a superinjunction to stop journalists reporting the breach. It was extended until being lifted by a High Court judge this Tuesday. A defence source said yesterday: 'People on that list had fought with British forces in Afghanistan. 'They fought against the Taliban. First of all we let the Taliban take over, and then when these people came to us for help we put their lives in even more danger.' The potential huge bill emerged as Nigel Farage claimed 'convicted sex offenders' are among the Afghans secretly airlifted into the UK. The Reform UK leader said the rescue of almost 20,000 Afghans is a risk to women's safety — triggering a row with Labour and the Tories. Defence Secretary John Healey insisted everyone had been checked 'carefully' for any criminal records. And he said if Mr Farage had any hard evidence, he should report it to police. Shadow Chancellor Mel Stride also said Mr Farage should provide evidence for his claims. PM Sir Keir Starmer said the previous Tory government had serious questions to answer over the leak. Hunting people down Sir Ben Wallace, Defence Secretary at the time, insisted there was not a cover-up and the gagging order was to protect at-risk Afghans, and he made 'no apology' for doing so. Sir Ben also said he applied for a four-month injunction and did not know why it was converted into a superinjunction in September 2023, when Grant Shapps had taken over as Defence Secretary. 7 The list contained the details of 20,000 Afghans whose country had been taken over by the Taliban Credit: Alamy 7 The leaked list also included the names of UK sponsors and MI6 spies who could have become targets of the Taliban in Afghanistan Credit: Getty Ex-Tory MP Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg said Mr Shapps had questions to answer. Mr Shapps has yet to comment. Meanwhile, Zia Yusuf, head of Reform's Department of Government Efficiency, has launched a petition calling for an independent, judge-led inquiry. He said: 'We want to know who made these decisions.' Lawyers insisted the injunction was necessary to protect the lives of people who were named and at risk of Taliban reprisals. It included hundreds of Afghan Special Forces who had served in units known as the Triples, alongside Britain's SAS and SBS. The Triples conducted thousands of night raids against senior Taliban leaders and counter-narcotics operations. Last night, Taliban sources claimed they have had the list for years — and had been hunting down those on it. A Taliban official said: 'We got the list from the internet during the first days when it was leaked. 'A special unit has been launched to find them and make sure they do not work with Britain. We've been calling and visiting their family members to track them down.' 7 The potential huge bill emerged as Nigel Farage claimed 'convicted sex offenders' are among the Afghans secretly airlifted into the UK Credit: PA 7 Defence Secretary John Healey insisted everyone had been checked 'carefully' for any criminal records Credit: PA In 2023, the Government launched a secret airlift, codenamed Operation Rubific, to smuggle around 4,500 people on the list to Britain. They are among 34,000 Afghans who have been offered new lives in Britain since the Taliban takeover. That number is expected to rise to 43,000 and the Government predicts the total cost will be £7billion. An MoD spokesman yesterday insisted a £1billion compensation bill was 'pure speculation'. He said: 'The Government inherited a deeply complex situation and since taking office, have taken appropriate action in line with the level of risk these individuals faced. 'We will do everything possible to defend against any compensation claims and any we do get, we will fight them hard.'
The Sun
16-07-2025
- Politics
- The Sun
MoD braced for £1billion compensation bill after 100k lives put at risk of Taliban death squads by Afghan leak scandal
DEFENCE chiefs are braced for a £1billion compensation bill over a data breach which revealed Afghans who supported UK forces. Around 100,000 were put at risk of Taliban death squads when their names or loved ones' were revealed in 2022 — with the blunder then 'covered up' by a UK gagging order. 7 7 7 Thousands could sue the MoD after the leak was made public this week. Almost 900 Afghans on the 'kill list' email leak are ready to sue — with lawyers saying thousands more are poised to join them. Legal sources claimed victims whose lives were endangered could be entitled 'to five-figure payouts'. Adnan Malik, at Manchester firm Barings Law, which is representing nearly 900, said: 'The victims have been exposed to not just financial harm, but the real threat of violence and death. In some cases, these threats have been tragically carried out. Monies claimed will vary substantially between claimants, we would expect sums upwards of five figures for each person affected.' That could see the overall compensation bill pass £1billion. The February 2022 leak was caused by a Special Forces soldier who accidentally shared a list of 18,714 people who had applied to flee to Britain in the wake of the 2021 Taliban takeover of Afghanistan. The list included their last-known location s, how they served British forces, and in some instances who supported their claims — including MPs, Special Forces and spies. The leak, which included details of a 'secret route' for some of those affected to come to the UK, was only discovered when excerpts were put on Facebook in August 2023. Taliban warns thousands of Afghans secretly airlifted to UK 'we will HUNT you down' The next month, the Tory government used a superinjunction to stop journalists reporting the breach. It was extended until being lifted by a High Court judge this Tuesday. A defence source said yesterday: 'People on that list had fought with British forces in Afghanistan. 'They fought against the Taliban. First of all we let the Taliban take over, and then when these people came to us for help we put their lives in even more danger.' The potential huge bill emerged as Nigel Farage claimed 'convicted sex offenders' are among the Afghans secretly airlifted into the UK. The Reform UK leader said the rescue of almost 20,000 Afghans is a risk to women's safety — triggering a row with Labour and the Tories. Defence Secretary John Healey insisted everyone had been checked 'carefully' for any criminal records. And he said if Mr Farage had any hard evidence, he should report it to police. Shadow Chancellor Mel Stride also said Mr Farage should provide evidence for his claims. PM Sir Keir Starmer said the previous Tory government had serious questions to answer over the leak. Hunting people down Sir Ben Wallace, Defence Secretary at the time, insisted there was not a cover-up and the gagging order was to protect at-risk Afghans, and he made 'no apology' for doing so. Sir Ben also said he applied for a four-month injunction and did not know why it was converted into a superinjunction in September 2023, when Grant Shapps had taken over as Defence Secretary. 7 Ex-Tory MP Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg said Mr Shapps had questions to answer. Mr Shapps has yet to comment. Meanwhile, Zia Yusuf, head of Reform's Department of Government Efficiency, has launched a petition calling for an independent, judge-led inquiry. He said: 'We want to know who made these decisions.' Lawyers insisted the injunction was necessary to protect the lives of people who were named and at risk of Taliban reprisals. It included hundreds of Afghan Special Forces who had served in units known as the Triples, alongside Britain's SAS and SBS. The Triples conducted thousands of night raids against senior Taliban leaders and counter-narcotics operations. Last night, Taliban sources claimed they have had the list for years — and had been hunting down those on it. A Taliban official said: 'We got the list from the internet during the first days when it was leaked. 'A special unit has been launched to find them and make sure they do not work with Britain. We've been calling and visiting their family members to track them down.' 7 7 In 2023, the Government launched a secret airlift, codenamed Operation Rubific, to smuggle around 4,500 people on the list to Britain. They are among 34,000 Afghans who have been offered new lives in Britain since the Taliban takeover. That number is expected to rise to 43,000 and the Government predicts the total cost will be £7billion. An MoD spokesman yesterday insisted a £1billion compensation bill was 'pure speculation'. He said: 'The Government inherited a deeply complex situation and since taking office, have taken appropriate action in line with the level of risk these individuals faced. 'We will do everything possible to defend against any compensation claims and any we do get, we will fight them hard.' MINISTERS' BLAME GAME FORMER Tory ministers have turned on each other as a blame game erupted over the Afghan data leak. Former PM Liz Truss accused ex-Defence Secretary Sir Ben Wallace of a 'huge betrayal of public trust'. She said she was 'shocked by the secrecy' of Operation Rubific, which brought 4,500 Afghans to Britain after their details were leaked. And she demanded those responsible in governments and the bureaucracy needed to be held to account. But Sir Ben hit back by claiming Ms Truss — Foreign Secretary under Boris Johnson in February 2022 — approved the plan in office. He replied to her X post: 'Oh dear Liz. Not quite. You were part of the Cabinet that approved the relocation of Afghans and the wider Home Office refugee scheme.' He also defended his actions, writing: 'I make no apology for applying to the court for an injunction at the time. Imagine if the Taliban had been alerted to the existence of this list.' Sir Keir Starmer said both former ministers had 'serious questions to answer' about the airlift that may ultimately cost an estimated £7billion. Ex-Tory MP Sir Jacob Rees Mogg also called on Sir Grant Shapps, who was Defence Secretary when the injunction became a superinjunction, to speak out on the revelations. And Reform UK's Zia Yusuf has called for a judge-led inquiry into the operation.
The Guardian
15-07-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
‘The worst day of all time': Afghans speak of safety fears after UK data leak
When Abdullah received an email from the British government saying his details had been included in the military data leak, it became 'the worst day in all time'. Speaking from Afghanistan, where he is in hiding, Abdullah fears he will be tortured and killed. 'The people I trusted for my safety have now created this risk for me,' said Abdullah, whose name has been changed for security reasons. He had applied to come to the UK with his wife and children under the Afghan relocations and assistance policy (Arap) after the Taliban swept to power in August 2021. 'This is the worst day in all time because I'm very scared. After hearing this news and receiving this email I haven't eaten, I haven't [had a] drink, and I'm just thinking about me and my family's security because I had sent to the UK government our photos, our home address, our everything and now I'm very scared for our safety.' Adnan Malik, the head of data protection at Barings Law, which is representing about 1,000 of the victims, said some of those listed on the leaked database have had to go into hiding in Afghanistan, while others had been killed in targeted attacks. The law firm is now working with some of those affected to pursue potential legal action. 'We are aware of incidents where there are individuals who are named on the list that they have been killed. And based on our research and understanding … it was an attack towards an individual who the perpetrator knew assisted the UK armed forces,' Malik said. That is Abdullah's greatest fear. 'I'm in Afghanistan currently and if this information is leaked, the current Afghanistan regime – they will find me and torture me and it's a risk for my life,' he said. 'I'm very concerned about myself and other people who are included in this data breach. I'm very sad. I thought the British government was very strong and now I'm in a very different situation.' The correspondence Abdullah and others received from the UK government, sent in English, Pashto and Dari, warned that the recipient's email address had been used to make a resettlement application and that some personal data may have been compromised. It advised the recipient to 'limit who can see your social media profiles and not accept friend/follow requests from individuals you do not know and trust'. It also urged the recipient not to take phone calls or respond to messages or emails from unknown contacts. 'As some applications included the personal data of others (including family and dependents) you should assume that their data may also be compromised, and they should exercise the same precautions,' it added. Abdullah, who is being represented by the law firm Leigh Day, said his only hope is that the British government now speeds up his application. Ahmed, a former soldier who conducted operations in Afghanistan with British troops, said he wept when he realised his details were included in the dataset. He came to the UK with his wife and children under the Arap scheme after the fall of Kabul in August 2021, but many of his relatives are still in Afghanistan. Shortly after his arrival in the UK, his two younger brothers – one of whom had been involved in military operations – tried to flee the Taliban after the family home was raided but the pair were shot dead at the Iranian border. Ahmed, whose name has been changed for security reasons, said the leak included his Arap application number, which he had used to make a case for his wider family. 'I was very worried and I started crying,' he said, describing the moment he realised he was a victim. 'I thought everything is safe here. We did a lot of operations with British troops. I'm afraid. I'm worried about my brother and wife's family and my colleagues because lots are in Afghanistan still. These things happen. The Taliban killed a lot of my friends as well.' He added: 'I have a request to the British government: please don't forget about our colleagues. A bad situation is going to happen in a couple of months if they don't bring them here.' Prof Sara de Jong, a founding member of the Sulha Alliance, which helps ex-interpreters and others who worked for Britain, said it was 'incredibly concerning' that the Ministry of Defence routinely asked Afghans for the most sensitive of personal data but couldn't be trusted with data protection. 'It is a horrible irony that the UK government had to save Afghans from their own data blunder, instead of prioritising those who are the Taliban's prime target,' she said. 'The vast amount of resource to cover up this error, could have been much better spent. For example, we see inexcusable delays in processing applications for family members at severe risk and many injured interpreters never received compensation.'
