LONDON: A British government minister is in a legal dispute over his refusal to disclose the sources behind allegations of war crimes by British special forces in Afghanistan.
Johnny Mercer, the UK’s veterans minister, claims to have received reports from “multiple officers” alleging murders and a subsequent cover-up during the Afghan conflict.
He has declined to reveal their identities to a public inquiry investigating whether a unit engaged in extrajudicial killings of adult males who posed no threat in Afghanistan between 2010 and 2013.
The Independent Inquiry Relating to Afghanistan issued a statement on Tuesday asked the Mercer, 42, to provide the names by next week or face potential legal consequences, including imprisonment.
A Section 21 notice was issued to Mercer under Britain’s Inquiries Act 2005 on March 13, compelling him to submit a witness statement containing the whistleblowers’ names by 4:00 pm (1500 GMT) on Friday, April 5.
Failure to comply without a valid excuse would constitute a criminal offense punishable by imprisonment and/or a fine, according to the notice.
The High Court in London could enforce the order through contempt of court proceedings, possibly resulting in imprisonment.
The order assured that the names will remain confidential and will only be shared with the inquiry’s legal team, with Mercer’s consent. Mercer has until April 3 to appeal if he finds the order unreasonable.
During Mercer’s testimony to the inquiry last month, he repeatedly refused to disclose the names, leading to contentious exchanges with the inquiry’s counsel.
He also declined to disclose the identity of a Special Boat Service (SBS) member who alleged being instructed to carry a “drop weapon” — a weapon placed next to an unarmed individual during an operation.
Haddon-Cave accused Mercer of obstructing the inquiry and criticized his “misguided understanding of integrity and inappropriate sense of loyalty.”
Mercer, a former British Army officer with three tours of Afghanistan, has been an MP since 2015. While he hasn’t publicly addressed the standoff, his allies state that he aims to safeguard the confidentiality of service personnel approaching lawmakers and protect whistleblowers facing mental health challenges.
Although Mercer faces the prospect of imprisonment, he intends to disclose the names only with the sources’ permission.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s office refrained from commenting on Mercer’s case specifically but emphasized the importance of complying with public inquiries.
