According to a law firm, the UK government and the airline will be sued by the passengers and crew of a British Airways flight who were held hostage in Kuwait in 1990. On August 2 of that year, just hours after the Iraqi army invaded, passengers on British Airways flight 149 were removed from the Kuala Lumpur-bound aircraft.
1990 Kuwait Hostage Passengers & Crew To Take Legal Action Against UK & British Airways
Some of the 367 passengers and crew members were held captive for more than four months, serving as human shields for the Iraqi dictator against strikes from the West.
The victims are pursuing legal action to guarantee the full disclosure of the facts, the accountability of those involved, and the payment of just compensation, according to McCue Jury & Partners. They are representing several former BA employees and passengers who were on the flight.
According to the law firm, the hostages now know that proof exists. In fact, they will prove that the airline and the UK government had prior knowledge that the invasion had already commenced. However, they still let the flight land. Additionally, the firm stated that they did so because the flight was being used to insert a black ops team of former special forces and security services into Kuwait.
The claim is currently in the pre-action stage, and the law firm expects to file the case with the High Court in London early next year. The company is pleading with additional BA flight crew members or passengers to join the lawsuit.
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Victims May Seek Damages Of £170,000 Per Hostage
According to the statement, each hostage may seek damages in the amount of an estimated average of £170,000 per hostage. Barry Manners, a passenger and claimant, stated that they were not treated as citizens, but as expendable pawns for commercial and political gain.
The restoration of trust in our political and legal systems will be aided by a victory over years of cover-up and outright denial, the speaker continued. According to documents made public in November 2021, the airline was not told of allegations of an Iraqi incursion before the flight landed in London by the UK ambassador to Kuwait.
The government has refuted allegations that London intentionally endangered passengers by using the aeroplane to transport undercover agents and delaying takeoff so they could board.
According to a representative for the UK government, the government of Iraq at the time handled sole responsibility for these events and the mistreatment of those passengers and crew.
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British Airways has consistently refuted claims of carelessness, collusion, and obstruction of justice.
Cover Image Courtesy: Wikimedia
First Published: September 12, 2023 4:45 PM