Latest news with #U.K.HighCourt
Ottawa Citizen
16-07-2025
- Politics
- Ottawa Citizen
Thousands of Afghans win U.K. asylum after huge data breach
Article content London — Thousands of Afghans who worked with the U.K. and their families were brought to Britain in a secret program after a 2022 data breach put their lives at risk, the British government revealed on Tuesday. Article content Defence Minister John Healey unveiled the scheme to parliament after the U.K. High Court on Tuesday lifted a super-gag order banning any reports of the events. Article content Article content Article content In February 2022, a spreadsheet containing the names and details of almost 19,000 Afghans who had asked to be relocated to Britain was accidentally leaked by a U.K. official just six months after Taliban fighters seized Kabul, Healey said. Article content Article content 'This was a serious departmental error,' Healey said, adding: 'Lives may have been at stake.' Article content The previous Conservative government put in place a secret program in April 2024 to help those 'judged to be at the highest risk of reprisals by the Taliban', he said. Article content Some 900 Afghans and 3,600 family members have now been brought to Britain or are in transit under the program known as the Afghan Response Route, at a cost of around 400 million pounds, Healey said. Article content Applications from 600 more people have also been accepted, bringing the estimated total cost of the scheme to 850 million pounds. Article content They are among some 36,000 Afghans who have been accepted by Britain under different schemes since the August 2021 fall of Kabul. Article content Article content As Labour's opposition defence spokesman, Healey was briefed on the scheme in December 2023 but the Conservative government asked a court to impose a 'super-injunction' banning any mention of it in parliament or by the press. Article content Article content When Labour came to power in July 2024, the scheme was in full swing but Healey said he had been 'deeply uncomfortable to be constrained from reporting' to parliament. Article content 'Ministers decided not to tell parliamentarians at an earlier stage about the data incident, as the widespread publicity would increase the risk of the Taliban obtaining the dataset,' he explained. Article content Healey set up a review of the scheme when he became defence minister in the new Labour government. Article content This concluded there was 'very little evidence of intent by the Taliban to conduct a campaign of retribution'. Article content The Afghan Response Route has now been closed, the minister said, apologizing for the data breach which 'should never have happened'.
Vancouver Sun
16-07-2025
- Politics
- Vancouver Sun
Thousands of Afghans win U.K. asylum after huge data breach
London — Thousands of Afghans who worked with the U.K. and their families were brought to Britain in a secret program after a 2022 data breach put their lives at risk, the British government revealed on Tuesday. Defence Minister John Healey unveiled the scheme to parliament after the U.K. High Court on Tuesday lifted a super-gag order banning any reports of the events. In February 2022, a spreadsheet containing the names and details of almost 19,000 Afghans who had asked to be relocated to Britain was accidentally leaked by a U.K. official just six months after Taliban fighters seized Kabul, Healey said. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. 'This was a serious departmental error,' Healey said, adding: 'Lives may have been at stake.' The previous Conservative government put in place a secret program in April 2024 to help those 'judged to be at the highest risk of reprisals by the Taliban', he said. Some 900 Afghans and 3,600 family members have now been brought to Britain or are in transit under the program known as the Afghan Response Route, at a cost of around 400 million pounds, Healey said. Applications from 600 more people have also been accepted, bringing the estimated total cost of the scheme to 850 million pounds. They are among some 36,000 Afghans who have been accepted by Britain under different schemes since the August 2021 fall of Kabul. As Labour's opposition defence spokesman, Healey was briefed on the scheme in December 2023 but the Conservative government asked a court to impose a 'super-injunction' banning any mention of it in parliament or by the press. When Labour came to power in July 2024, the scheme was in full swing but Healey said he had been 'deeply uncomfortable to be constrained from reporting' to parliament. 'Ministers decided not to tell parliamentarians at an earlier stage about the data incident, as the widespread publicity would increase the risk of the Taliban obtaining the dataset,' he explained. Healey set up a review of the scheme when he became defence minister in the new Labour government. This concluded there was 'very little evidence of intent by the Taliban to conduct a campaign of retribution'. The Afghan Response Route has now been closed, the minister said, apologizing for the data breach which 'should never have happened'. He estimated the total cost of relocating people from Afghanistan to Britain at between 5.5 billion to 6 billion pounds. Conservative party defence spokesman James Cartlidge also apologized for the leak which happened under the previous Tory government. But he defended the decision to keep it secret, saying the aim had been to avoid 'an error by an official of the British state leading to torture or even murder of persons in the dataset at the hands of what remains a brutal Taliban regime.' Healey said all those brought to the U.K. from Afghanistan had been accounted for in the country's immigration figures. Prime Minister Keir Starmer has vowed to cut the number of migrants arriving in Britain. In 2023, the U.K. defence ministry was fined 350,000 pounds by a data watchdog for disclosing personal information of 265 Afghans seeking to flee Taliban fighters in the chaotic fall of Kabul two years earlier. Britain's Afghanistan evacuation plan was widely criticized, with the government accused by MPs of 'systemic failures of leadership, planning and preparation'. Hundreds of Afghans eligible for relocation were left behind, many with their lives potentially at risk after details of staff and job applicants were left at the abandoned British embassy in Kabul. Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark and sign up for our newsletters here .
Edmonton Journal
16-07-2025
- Politics
- Edmonton Journal
Thousands of Afghans win U.K. asylum after huge data breach
Article content London — Thousands of Afghans who worked with the U.K. and their families were brought to Britain in a secret program after a 2022 data breach put their lives at risk, the British government revealed on Tuesday. Article content Defence Minister John Healey unveiled the scheme to parliament after the U.K. High Court on Tuesday lifted a super-gag order banning any reports of the events. Article content Article content Article content In February 2022, a spreadsheet containing the names and details of almost 19,000 Afghans who had asked to be relocated to Britain was accidentally leaked by a U.K. official just six months after Taliban fighters seized Kabul, Healey said. Article content Article content The previous Conservative government put in place a secret program in April 2024 to help those 'judged to be at the highest risk of reprisals by the Taliban', he said. Article content Some 900 Afghans and 3,600 family members have now been brought to Britain or are in transit under the program known as the Afghan Response Route, at a cost of around 400 million pounds, Healey said. Article content Applications from 600 more people have also been accepted, bringing the estimated total cost of the scheme to 850 million pounds. Article content They are among some 36,000 Afghans who have been accepted by Britain under different schemes since the August 2021 fall of Kabul. Article content Article content As Labour's opposition defence spokesman, Healey was briefed on the scheme in December 2023 but the Conservative government asked a court to impose a 'super-injunction' banning any mention of it in parliament or by the press. Article content Article content When Labour came to power in July 2024, the scheme was in full swing but Healey said he had been 'deeply uncomfortable to be constrained from reporting' to parliament. Article content 'Ministers decided not to tell parliamentarians at an earlier stage about the data incident, as the widespread publicity would increase the risk of the Taliban obtaining the dataset,' he explained. Article content Healey set up a review of the scheme when he became defence minister in the new Labour government. Article content This concluded there was 'very little evidence of intent by the Taliban to conduct a campaign of retribution'. Article content The Afghan Response Route has now been closed, the minister said, apologizing for the data breach which 'should never have happened'.
Miami Herald
27-05-2025
- Politics
- Miami Herald
Tommy Robinson Thanks Elon Musk as He Walks Free From Prison
The British far-right activist Tommy Robinson—an alias for his real name, Stephen Yaxley-Lennon—thanked Elon Musk as he walked free from prison on parole after a judge granted him early release. Robinson, 42, was partway through an 18-month jail sentence for violating a court order barring him from repeating libelous allegations against a teenage Syrian refugee, whom he had falsely accused of being a violent bully in school. He made a documentary film titled "Silenced" about the boy and the legal consequences Robinson faced for repeating his claims, which he shared on X, formerly Twitter, owned by the billionaire Musk. "I feel good," Robinson, whose hair and beard had grown long, told supporters in a live stream posted to his X page. "I have to say a thank you to Elon Musk, because without X, if we didn't have X, everyone would just think I lied. No one would have got any other narrative," Robinson said. "These attempts at censorship, to silence, to cancel people, it hasn't worked. You've attempted to lock up the truth. And that truth has been echoed around the entire globe." Musk has expressed support for Robinson, calling for him to be freed and saying he was imprisoned "for telling the truth". Robinson's lawyers had earlier told the U.K. High Court that he has shown a "commitment" to comply with the order, and as a result, Justice Jeremy Johnson granted the application to have his sentence reduced. Yaxley-Lennon had shown a "change in attitude" since he was sentenced, Johnson said, while noting the "absence of contrition or remorse." "He has given an assurance that he will comply with the injunction in the future, that he has no intention of breaching it again, and that he is aware of the consequences of what would happen if he breached the injunction again," the judge said. Robinson admitted in court last October that he was in contempt of court for violating a 2021 injunction by giving interviews in a podcast and shown on YouTube, and sharing the "Silenced" documentary, including at a rally in London's Trafalgar Square. He had been ordered not to repeat false allegations that he made in 2018 that Jamal Hijazi was a violent thug who bullied and threatened other students at a school in West Yorkshire in northern England. Videos he made about Hijazi led to abuse being directed at the boy, who dropped out of school and his family had to leave their home. Hijazi successfully sued for libel in London's High Court in July 2021 and was awarded £100,000 ($130,000) in damages and his court costs. In the past, Yaxley-Lennon has been jailed for assault, mortgage fraud and contempt of court. He founded the nationalist street protest group the English Defence League (EDL) in 2009. Even after the group faded from view around 2013, he remained one of the most influential far-right figures in Britain and can still draw large crowds to the streets. He has also captured global attention through social media, including support from the U.S. right. This is a developing article. More information will be added soon. This article includes reporting by The Associated Press. Related Articles Elon Musk Makes Major Push in Europe to Boost German, British Far-RightProminent British Far-right Activist Tommy Robinson Begs Donald Trump for Asylum in U.S.: 'I Need Evacuation From This Country'The British Have Made Throwing Milkshakes at the Far-Right a ThingOxford Union Invites Steve Bannon to Address Students After Forced Cancellation of German Far-right Party Event 2025 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
English Defense League founder Tommy Robinson due for early release after UK judge's decision
LONDON (AP) — The U.K. High Court in London on Tuesday reduced the prison sentence of the far-right English Defense League's founder, and he could be released in the coming days. Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, better known as Tommy Robinson, was sentenced to 18 months in prison in October for violating a court order barring him from repeating libelous allegations against a Syrian refugee. However, his lawyers told the court that he had since shown a 'commitment' to comply with the order, and as a result, Justice Jeremy Johnson granted the application to have the sentence reduced, which means he could be released on parole within the next week. Yaxley-Lennon had shown a 'change in attitude' since he was sentenced, Johnson said, while noting the "absence of contrition or remorse.' 'He has given an assurance that he will comply with the injunction in the future, that he has no intention of breaching it again, and that he is aware of the consequences of what would happen if he breached the injunction again,' the judge said. Yaxley-Lennon, 42, who attended the hearing by videoconference from HMP Woodhill in Milton Keynes, showed no immediate reaction once the judgment was handed down. He had admitted in court last October that he was in contempt of court for violating a 2021 injunction by giving interviews in a podcast and shown on YouTube, and in a documentary he presented during a rally in London's Trafalgar Square that was also posted on his X account and widely viewed. He had been ordered not to repeat false allegations that he made in 2018 that a teen, Jamal Hijazi, was a violent thug who bullied and threatened other students at a school in West Yorkshire in northern England. Videos he made about Hijazi led to abuse being directed at the boy. He dropped out of school and his family had to leave their home. Hijazi successfully sued for libel in London's High Court in July 2021 and was awarded 100,000 British pounds ($130,000) in damages and his court costs. In the past, Yaxley-Lennon has been jailed for assault, mortgage fraud and contempt of court. He founded the nationalist street protest group EDL in 2009. Even after the group faded from view around 2013, he remained one of the most influential far-right figures in Britain and can still draw large crowds to the streets.
