UK Govt, British Airways Sued Over 1990 Kuwait Hostage Crisis

Legal action has been taken against the UK government and an airline in relation to the 1990 Kuwait hostage crisis.

British Airways passengers and crew who were held hostage in Kuwait in 1990 have initiated legal proceedings against the UK government and the airline, as announced by a law firm on Monday.

Passengers on the British Airways flight were disembarked from the aircraft bound for Kuala Lumpur upon landing in Kuwait on August 2^nd of that year, several hours after the Iraqi invasion of the country.

A significant number of the 367 passengers and crew members were held captive for an extended period exceeding four months. During the initial Gulf conflict in 1991, they were unfortunately utilized as human shields to protect Iraqi forces from Western military operations.

Ninety-four individuals have filed a civil lawsuit at the High Court in London, alleging that the British government and British Airways deliberately put civilians at risk, as reported by McCue Jury & Partners.

“All of the claimants suffered severe physical and psychiatric harm during their ordeal, the consequences of which are still felt today,” the law firm added.

It Is alleged that the British government and the airline were aware of the commencement of the invasion, yet permitted the flight to land regardless.

The purpose of the flight was to discreetly deploy a specialized covert operations team into Kuwait, as per the firm’s statement.

“We were not treated as citizens but as expendable pawns for commercial and political gain,” said Barry Manners, who was on the flight and is taking part in the claim.

“A victory over years of cover-up and bare-faced denial will help restore trust in our political and judicial process,” he added. British government files released in Nov 2021 revealed that the UK ambassador to Kuwait had informed London about reports of an Iraqi invasion before the flight landed, but the message was not passed on to BA.

It has been alleged, alt”ough denied by the government, that London knowingly endangered passengers by utilizing the flight to deploy covert operatives and intentionally delayed takeoff to facilitate their boarding. The UK government declined to comment on pending legal matters.

British Airways has consistently refuted allegations of negligence, conspiracy, and a cover-up. Despite a request for comment, the airline has not provided a response. However, in 2021, the airline stated that the released records "confirmed British Airways was not forewarned about the invasion.”

McCue Jury & Partners announced in September its intention to file the lawsuit. The hostages may claim an estimated average of 170,000 pounds ($213,000) each in damages.

In 2003, a French court ruled against BA, ordering the company to pay 1.67 million euros in compensation to the French passengers who were held hostage on the flight. The court found that BA had “severely neglected its responsibilities” to the passengers by landing the aircraft.

July 02, 2024