Overview

• Veterans' Affairs Minister Johnny Mercer has been ordered to provide names of Special Forces whistleblowers alleging war crimes in Afghanistan or face potential imprisonment or a fine.
• A senior judge has issued a notice compelling Mercer to reveal his sources by April 5, citing the information's significant relevance to the investigation.
• Mercer has refused to identify the soldiers, citing their vulnerability, and has received support from former Army head General Lord Dannatt, who called the inquiry's pressure 'outrageous'.
• The Afghanistan public inquiry, investigating claims of SAS atrocities, insists on having robust procedures to protect witnesses' identities.
• If Mercer fails to comply, he could be prosecuted in a magistrates’ court or found in contempt in the High Court, with varying consequences including imprisonment.