A UK government minister is on a collision course with the law over his refusal to reveal the sources of allegations that British special forces committed war crimes in Afghanistan.
Johnny Mercer, Britain’s minister for veterans, has said “multiple officers” told him about alleged murders and a subsequent cover-up during the Afghan conflict.
He has refused to divulge their identities to a public inquiry examining whether a unit executed males of “fighting age” who posed no threat in the war-torn country between 2010 and 2013.
The Independent Inquiry Relating to Afghani-stan ordered Mercer, 42, to hand over the names next week or face a potential prison sentence.
Mercer refuses to disclose sources of allegations that British forces committed war crimes.
In a statement, the Independent Inquiry Relating to Afghanistan revealed that on March 13, it had issued the MP a Section 21 notice under Britain’s Inquiries Act, 2005.
