SAS soldiers have been told to stop cooperating with a judge-led inquiry into killings in Afghanistan.
Government-funded lawyers advised troops “not to engage” amid claims the probe has become yet another “legal witch hunt”.
SAS soldiers have been told to stop cooperating with a judge-led inquiry into killings in Afghanistan
The inquiry, led by Lord Justice Charles Haddon-Cave, is examining claims troops killed over 80 prisoners in Afghanistan between 2010 and 2013
It appears to conflict with orders from ex-Army chief General Sir Patrick Sanders, issued in 2023, that “all levels of the chain of command” give their full cooperation.
The inquiry, led by Lord Justice Charles Haddon-Cave, is examining claims troops killed over 80 prisoners in between 2010 and 2013.
A senior source told The Sun: “The government-sponsored legal advice to our people is no longer to engage.”
We understand the advice came from lawyers paid by the to act on behalf of the SAS and its veterans.
Around 150 SAS troops who served in Afghanistan were warned they face being questioned or required to submit written evidence.
The insider said that “a whole generation” of the Who Dares Wins regiment faced being dragged through the process.
The Sun revealed two SAS soldiers were arrested last week on suspicion of murder over an Afghan mission in 2009, which is outside the scope of the Haddon-Cave probe.
The source accused the judge of conducting it “in a manner which increasingly resembles a witch hunt” and said prosecutors assume “all of the allegations are true unless proven otherwise”.
He said: “The regiment’s legal team is saying to a proportion of potential witnesses who have been asked to go in front of the inquiry, or at least provide written evidence, that they appear to run the risk of putting themselves in the full glare of the law, but without any of the protection.
“Our legal teams say it is your choice, but our advice to you is not to put yourself in that position.”
An MoD source said SAS witnesses had always had a right to remain silent or answer “no comment” to avoid self-incrimination.
But an MoD spokesperson said: “We urge full cooperation from all personnel and veterans who possess relevant information to get in touch with the Inquiry team and the Police.”
Around 150 SAS troops who served in Afghanistan were warned they face being questioned or required to submit written evidence 
