No fewer than eight journalists who work for British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) as well as other British media firms in Afghanistan on Thursday approached a London High Court to sue the United Kingdom’s ministers over their refusal to let them relocate to the UK.
According to the journalists, they risk “being killed by the Talibans” having worked in “high-profile roles for the BBC and other media agencies.”
The journalists represented by their lawyers disclosed that they and their families are not safe in their country having worked for the UK-based media platforms.
A report by evening standard indicated that the journalists worked with the United States-aided Afghanistan government and British troops to reveal Taliban corruption before it captured Kabul in August last year.
The journalists was an initial agreement to relocate to the UK but their applications were declined, forcing them to take legal action against Defence Secretary Ben Wallace and Home Secretary Suella Braverman.
Meanwhile, Adam Straw KC, the leading lawyer representing them said, “As a result of their work in support of His Majesty (HM) Government, the claimants and their families are at high risk of being killed by the Taliban.”
According to Straw said his clients worked closely alongside British troops offering information to the British mission as they played crucial roles in the development of independent media and democratic process.
“The claimants are Afghan nationals who worked in high-profile roles for the BBC and other media agencie
“They worked alongside HM Government, including alongside British troops and for organisations funded by HM Government.
“Their work closely supported HM Government’s objectives in Afghanistan; for example, by providing it with information, developing popular support for the British mission, undermining support for the Taliban, and playing an important role in the development of a free media and accountable democracy.”
The journalists had applied for relocation to the UK under the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy, but officials had decided they were not eligible for relocation under that scheme, Straw said.
He said the journalists had been told they “did not meet the eligibility criteria” but had not been given give “any or adequate reasons” why.