Former British officer sues Ministry of Defense over handling of Afghan data breach

Former British officer sues Ministry of Defense over handling of Afghan data breach
An Afghan man pushes a wheelbarrow loaded with sacks of grass during sunset along a street in the Dand district of Kandahar province, July 20, 2025. (AFP)
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Updated 13 August 2025

Former British officer sues Ministry of Defense over handling of Afghan data breach

Former British officer sues Ministry of Defense over handling of Afghan data breach
  • Individual worked on Afghan cases for under two years before his role ended unexpectedly after he threatened to become a whistleblower
  • He is suing the MoD and his third-party recruiter, and the case is set to be heard next year

LONDON: A former British military officer is suing the Ministry of Defense for constructive dismissal after speaking out about the handling of a data leak that exposed the personal details of thousands of Afghans seeking relocation to the UK.

The Times reported that an unnamed individual was contracted to assist with Operation Rubific, a secret mission addressing the fallout from a massive data breach.

The former officer worked on Afghan cases for under two years before his role ended unexpectedly after he threatened to become a whistleblower. He was then reassigned to another area in a position for which he was overqualified.

“He complained they are letting in people they shouldn’t and not letting in those he should,” a source close to the former officer suing the MoD told The Times.

He also raised concerns that the government was not prioritizing those most at risk among the tens of thousands of Afghans identified for resettlement in Britain. He assisted four Afghan individuals in relocating to Britain after their details were revealed on the leaked list.

The MoD is facing scrutiny over a superinjunction that blocked public and parliamentary oversight after a spreadsheet leaked containing the names, telephone numbers and email addresses of Afghans seeking relocation to Britain.

The former officer allegedly threatened to alert other departments about the superinjunction and was subsequently “managed out,” according to the source.

The individual is suing the MoD and his third-party recruiter, for whom he worked as a contractor after leaving the military. The case is set to be heard next year.

Officials argued that the data breach should remain secret for nearly two years, claiming it put 100,000 Afghans at risk of Taliban retribution, including death and torture. However, the superinjunction was lifted in July after a government review deemed it “highly unlikely” that Afghans on the leaked spreadsheet were at risk.

Ministers reduced the number of Afghans brought to Britain from 42,500 to 24,000, including family members, based on their presence in the country or prior invitations. Concerns have also been raised about the motive behind the secrecy order, questioning if it aims to protect the MoD’s reputation and prepare for potential mass applications from affected Afghans, The Times reported.

Adnan Malik, the head of data protection at Barings Law, is now representing 1,400 individuals from the leaked list; a number that continues to grow daily.

He told The Times that the MoD’s “attempt to silence one of their own whistleblowers is another shameful development” after tens of thousands of Afghans had their data breached without their knowledge.

A source from the MoD said that the individual’s contract had concluded.


‘Biggest risk’ of violence at Aston Villa game was ‘extreme Maccabi fans who want to fight’

‘Biggest risk’ of violence at Aston Villa game was ‘extreme Maccabi fans who want to fight’
Updated 10 sec ago

‘Biggest risk’ of violence at Aston Villa game was ‘extreme Maccabi fans who want to fight’

‘Biggest risk’ of violence at Aston Villa game was ‘extreme Maccabi fans who want to fight’
  • Reports by Dutch police of attacks on Muslims by Israeli team’s fans at match in Amsterdam were reportedly a factor in decision to ban them from Europa League match in Birmingham
  • Concern about violence instigated by Maccabi fans was so great that at least 1,500 extra riot police would have had to be mobilized from across the country at a cost of $8m

LONDON: British police concluded that traveling Maccabi Tel Aviv fans represented the biggest potential threat of violence at their team’s match against Aston Villa next month.

The police assessment was a factor in the decision to ban supporters of the Israeli team from attending the Europa League game in Birmingham on Nov. 6.

The decision last week — which Aston Villa said followed “an instruction” from Birmingham’s Safety Advisory Group based on the advice of West Midlands Police — sparked controversy, including accusations of antisemitism and criticism from Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

Details of the police intelligence report and risk assessments have not been publicly shared but The Guardian newspaper reported on Tuesday that it was the Maccabi fans themselves that were the main source of concern, rather than the possibility that their supporters would be targeted by others.

Sources told the newspaper that West Midlands Police had learned scores of Maccabi fans with a history of violence and racism were expected to travel to the game. Dutch police told their British counterparts that Maccabi fans had instigated violence at a match in Amsterdam last year, randomly attacking Muslims.

UK police feared that any trouble started by the Israeli fans might spark wider clashes and reprisal attacks.

“The biggest risk was always the extreme Maccabi fans who want to fight,” a source with knowledge of the assessments told The Guardian. The police assessment was shared with the UK’s football policing unit, which backed its conclusions, the newspaper added.

Concern about the behavior of Maccabi fans was so great that at least 1,500 extra riot police would have had to be mobilized from across the country at a cost of £6 million ($8 million).

Starmer described the decision as “wrong” and said Britain would not tolerate antisemitism on its streets.

“The role of the police is to ensure all football fans can enjoy the game, without fear of violence or intimidation,” he said, amid calls for the ban to be overturned.

But it now appears the decision was made based on the checkered history of the Israeli fans themselves, which includes regular racist and anti-Arab chants, rather than concerns about their safety.

Maccabi’s scheduled match on Sunday against Hapoel in Tel Aviv was canceled before kickoff after violence erupted.

Maccabi announced on Monday they would not sell tickets for the Aston Villa match to their fans.


Ukrainian military says it struck chemical plant in southern Russia’s Bryansk region

Ukrainian military says it struck chemical plant in southern Russia’s Bryansk region
Updated 19 min 42 sec ago

Ukrainian military says it struck chemical plant in southern Russia’s Bryansk region

Ukrainian military says it struck chemical plant in southern Russia’s Bryansk region

Ukraine’s military said on Tuesday its forces had struck an important chemical plant in southern Russia’s Bryansk region.
A statement by the General Staff said the plant was hit in a combined attack by missiles and air strikes, successfully penetrating Russian air defenses.
It described the plant as a “key facility” producing gunpowder, explosives and rocket fuel and said damage caused by the operation was being assessed.
The Ukrainian statement noted, in unusual fashion in such announcements, that Franco-British Storm Shadow missiles were used in the strike and had successfully penetrated Russian air defense systems.


Police ban UKIP rally in London borough with large Muslim population

Police ban UKIP rally in London borough with large Muslim population
Updated 22 October 2025

Police ban UKIP rally in London borough with large Muslim population

Police ban UKIP rally in London borough with large Muslim population
  • Right-wing populist party planned to stage ‘mass deportations’ protest in Tower Hamlets
  • Metropolitan Police said it banned event over ‘concerns of serious disorder’

LONDON: Police in London have banned a right-wing populist party from staging a rally calling for “mass deportations” in an area with a large Muslim population.

The UK Independence Party, known as UKIP, had planned to hold the event in Whitechapel on Saturday, telling supporters to “reclaim the area from Islamists.”

London’s Metropolitan Police said on Tuesday it had banned the event from taking place anywhere in the Tower Hamlets borough over “concerns of serious disorder.”

Commander Nick John said: “Tower Hamlets has the largest percentage of Muslim residents anywhere in the UK and the prospect of this protest taking place in the heart of the borough has been the cause of significant concern locally.

“It is our assessment that there is a realistic prospect of serious disorder if it was to go ahead in the proposed location.”

The rally was part of a series of events around the UK promoted by UKIP as a “mass deportations tour.”

The UK has seen a surge in support for populist anti-immigration parties including Reform UK, which holds a substantial lead in the polls.

Reform’s leader Nigel Farage was previously the head of UKIP, when the party played a key role in the UK’s decision to leave the EU.

Since then UKIP has become increasingly right-wing and Islamophobic, describing the planned rally in London as a “crusade.”

Police said a large counter protest was also expected, organized by Stand Up To Racism and other groups.

The Mayor of Tower Hamlets Lutfur Rahman said the UKIP rally would have “spread fear and prejudice” and caused “significant disruption and intimidation in our local community.”

UKIP said it would move the march to another area of London, and added that police had “caved into the Islamists.”


Police and protesters clash outside Dublin asylum seeker hotel

Police and protesters clash outside Dublin asylum seeker hotel
Updated 21 October 2025

Police and protesters clash outside Dublin asylum seeker hotel

Police and protesters clash outside Dublin asylum seeker hotel
  • Protesters carrying Irish flags and signs of “Irish lives matter” while chanting “get them out”
  • Irish PM Micheal Martin said the events were “extremely serious and very, very grave“

SAGGART, Ireland: Police in riot gear clashed with at least 1,000 protesters in southwest Dublin on Tuesday outside an asylum seeker hotel, following allegations that a 10-year-old girl was sexually assaulted.
Local media reported the 26-year-old man accused of assaulting the girl was an asylum seeker and that the incident took place on the grounds of the Citywest Hotel which houses asylum applicants in Saggart, southwest of the Irish capital.
Protesters carrying Irish flags and signs of “Irish lives matter” while chanting “get them out” launched bottles and fireworks at police.
A police van was set on fire as an AFP correspondent witnessed officers charging at protesters and using pepper spray to push them away from the hotel complex.
Earlier in the day, Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin said the events were “extremely serious and very, very grave.”
A 26-year-old man appeared in court on Tuesday charged in connection to the sexual assault, which allegedly took place at a location near the hotel.
The alleged victim was in state care at the time of the incident, with child and family agency Tusla confirming she “absconded” during a trip to the city center and was reported missing.
Speaking in parliament, Martin acknowledged “the concern, anger and worry of many people throughout the country at what (is) alleged to have transpired here.”
“Clearly, there has been failure here in terms of the state’s obligation to protect this child,” the premier added.
Justice and migration minister Jim O’Callaghan “condemned” Tuesday’s disorder, citing the projectiles thrown at police.
“Unfortunately, the weaponizing of a crime by people who wish to sow dissent in our society is not unexpected,” O’Callaghan said in a statement.
Ireland and the UK have seen rising anti-immigration sentiment in recent years, with hotels housing asylum seekers common flashpoints for protests and violent riots.
In June, hotels were targeted and dozens of officers injured in anti-immigrant unrest in Northern Ireland, after two teenagers were arrested accused of attempting to rape a young girl in Ballymena.
Police did not confirm the ethnicity of the accused, who had asked for a Romanian interpreter in court, prompting what authorities described as the “racist” targeting of homes and businesses by rioters.


UK’s shadow justice secretary accused of being ‘anti-British’ for backing burqa ban

UK’s shadow justice secretary accused of being ‘anti-British’ for backing burqa ban
Updated 21 October 2025

UK’s shadow justice secretary accused of being ‘anti-British’ for backing burqa ban

UK’s shadow justice secretary accused of being ‘anti-British’ for backing burqa ban
  • Robert Jenrick, leading figure in Conservative Party, made remarks during show on Talk TV on Tuesday
  • Labour MP Sam Rushworth described comments as ‘against what our nation stands for’

LONDON: The UK’s shadow justice secretary has been accused of being “anti-British” after saying he would probably support banning women wearing burqas in public.

Robert Jenrick, a leading figure in the Conservative Party and tipped to lead it potentially, made the remarks during a show on Talk TV on Tuesday.

When asked if he would ban the burqa, Jenrick responded: “I probably would ban the burqa.” The statement contradicts the position taken by his party leader, Kemi Badenoch.

He referred to the ruling Brothers of Italy party’s plan to introduce legislation aimed at banning the burqa.

Jenrick added: “I think there’s definitely a strong argument for it. There are basic values in this country and we should stand up and defend them.”

Labour MP Sam Rushworth responded strongly to condemn the comments.

Rushworth wrote on X: “That’s so anti-British. It goes against what our nation stands for.”

Badenoch, the Conservative leader, previously dismissed the idea of a burqa ban, saying that it would not solve the issue of “cultural separatism.”

Jenrick faced accusations of igniting a “fire of toxic nationalism” after The Guardian reported that he complained about not seeing “another white face” during a 90-minute visit to Handsworth in Birmingham earlier in October.