Afghanistan: Judge hunted by Taliban wins court case against UK government
An Afghan judge who has been forced to go into hiding from the Taliban was wrongly refused relocation to the UK, the High Court has ruled.
The anonymous claimant prosecuted Taliban and Islamic State group members, and has since avoided an assassination attempt, the court heard.
The UK government argued he had not worked closely enough with the UK in Afghanistan to qualify for relocation.
A UK government spokesperson says officials are "considering" the ruling.
The Afghan judge is currently in hiding in an unspecified third country with his wife and children, two of whom are in poor health, it emerged in court.
He lives with the constant "risk that they may be forcibly returned to Afghanistan", according to a ruling in his favour.
Zoe Cooley, the claimant's solicitor, said the government had a "moral, as well as a legal, responsibility to bring our client and his family to safety".
The ruling does not automatically qualify him for relocation but does mean the government must now reassess his application in light of the court's findings.
Ms Cooley called on the UK government to act "very swiftly" to bring the judge and his family to the UK before it was "too late".
An Afghan judge who has been forced to go into hiding from the Taliban was wrongly refused relocation to the UK, the High Court has ruled.
The anonymous claimant prosecuted Taliban and Islamic State group members, and has since avoided an assassination attempt, the court heard.
The UK government argued he had not worked closely enough with the UK in Afghanistan to qualify for relocation.
A UK government spokesperson says officials are "considering" the ruling.
The Afghan judge is currently in hiding in an unspecified third country with his wife and children, two of whom are in poor health, it emerged in court.
He lives with the constant "risk that they may be forcibly returned to Afghanistan", according to a ruling in his favour.
Zoe Cooley, the claimant's solicitor, said the government had a "moral, as well as a legal, responsibility to bring our client and his family to safety".
The ruling does not automatically qualify him for relocation but does mean the government must now reassess his application in light of the court's findings.
Ms Cooley called on the UK government to act "very swiftly" to bring the judge and his family to the UK before it was "too late".
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