Archiv: MI6 (state spy agency / UK)


05.09.2025 - 19:25 [ Al Jazeera ]

Corbyn-led tribunal accuses UK of complicity in Gaza genocide

On June 4, Corbyn tabled a bill in the House of Commons calling for an independent inquiry into the UK’s involvement in Israeli military operations in Gaza, including the supply of weapons, surveillance aircraft and the use of Royal Air Force bases. That bill, backed by dozens of MPs and supported by more than 20 aid groups, was ultimately blocked by the ruling Labour Party.

“If the government won’t organise a public open inquiry, if Parliament won’t effectively inquire into what’s going on, it remains for us to do it,” said Corbyn. “This [event] will strengthen our arguments both in Parliament and outside … An awful lot of what’s going on is completely illegal and shouldn’t be hidden from.”

04.09.2025 - 18:46 [ TheGazaTribunal.uk ]

The Gaza Tribunal: Inquiry into British Complicity

Find out more about the inquiry into Britain‘s role in Israeli war crimes in Gaza.

07.03.2025 - 12:07 [ Netzpolitik.org ]

Mehrere europäische Länder greifen Ende-zu-Ende-Verschlüsselung an

(March 4, 2025)

In Großbritannien ist mit dem Investigatory Powers Act schon länger ein solches Gesetz in Kraft. Auf Grundlage des Gesetzes forderte die Regierung Anfang Februar von Apple, weltweit Hintertüren in seine iCloud-Verschlüsselung einzubauen.
(…)

In Frankreich hat jüngst ein Gesetz gegen den Drogenhandel den Senat passiert und soll schon im März in Parlament und Ausschüssen weiter behandelt werden. Dieses „hoch politisierte“ Gesetzespaket enthält eine Reihe an Verschärfungen, etwa eine heimliche Fernüberwachung über Mikrofone und Kameras von Endgeräten.
Der Menschenrechtsorganisation la Quadrature du Net bereitet aber wohl ein Gesetzeszusatz die größten Sorgen, der sich gezielt gegen verschlüsselte Kommunikation richtet. Der Passus soll Online-Dienste wie Signal oder WhatsApp verpflichten, Kommunikationsdaten in lesbarer Form herauszugeben und bedroht die Nichtbeachtung mit Strafen von bis zu 1,5 Millionen Euro für natürliche Personen oder zwei Prozent des Jahresumsatzes von juristischen Personen wie Unternehmen oder Stiftungen.
(…)
In Schweden ist ein geplantes Gesetz gegen illegale Online-Inhalte noch nicht ganz so weit. Es soll voraussichtlich erst im kommenden Jahr in den schwedischen Reichstag kommen. Die Initiative sieht laut SVT Nyheter vor, dass Messenger die Kommunikationen ihrer Nutzer:innen speichern müssen. Es sei „absolut entscheidend“, dass Ermittlungsbehörden Zugang zu digitaler Kommunikation erhalten, forderte der schwedische Justizminister.

07.03.2025 - 11:55 [ Computerworld.com ]

Apple appeals UK encryption backdoor demand

(March 5, 2025)

Let’s say that Apple lets the order stand and simply opts out of the UK market, which is essentially what it has already done, he said. That could encourage other governments, especially those in France, Australia, and Canada, to try the same tactic.

“If that happens, then the [UK] government has set a precedent,” Chagnon said. But if Apple succeeds in this appeal, which was reported in various media including The Financial Times, “then Apple will have turned the tables and set their own precedent. It would be saying ‘No, China, no, Germany, no, France, you can’t have a backdoor.’”

13.02.2025 - 14:07 [ Zeit.de ]

BND und Verfassungsschutz: Mit Asylversprechen Flüchtlinge abgeschöpft

(14. Januar 2016)

Die „Partnerbefrager“, wie sie im internen Jargon genannt werden, saßen nicht nur in der Zentrale der Hauptstelle in Berlin, sondern auch in den Außenstellen Zirndorf, Nürnberg, Wiesbaden und Friedland. So konnten amerikanische und britische Dienste ungehindert auch ohne die Aufsicht des BND Flüchtlinge befragen.

11.02.2025 - 20:10 [ Krone.at ]

Mitglied der Hamas? Terror-Razzia gegen Sohn von Nobelpreisträgern

(February 8, 2025)

Medhursts Mutter und Vater hatten 1988 als Teil eines UN-Kontingents symbolisch den Friedensnobelpreis für die Blauhelme bekommen. Jetzt der brisante Verdacht gegen ihn nach Paragraf 278b: Mitgliedschaft in einer terroristischen Vereinigung! Dafür drohen bis zu zehn Jahre Haft.

11.02.2025 - 20:05 [ Consortium News ]

Austrian Police Detain Richard Medhurst; Accuse Him of Being Hamas Member; UK Extends Probe Against Him

(February 7, 2025)

“I categorically deny all of these accusations by the Austrian and British governments, I’m a journalist, not a terrorist, and they bloody-well know it,” Medhurst said in his video. He added that he was a Christian being accused of belonging to Hamas, an Islamist organization resisting Israel’s occupation of Gaza.

Medhurst said the allegations by both countries were similar, but there has now been a “massive escalation” to accuse him of being a “member of a proscribed organization.” The British only accuse him of supporting the proscribed organization, Hamas, through his journalism.

“This is insanity,” he said. “This is an attack on the entire profession, on freedom of speech, on democracy itself.”

Medhurst said he could face up to 14 years of prison in Britain, plus 2-5 years if he doesn’t give them the passwords to his devices and perhaps 10 years in Austria.

11.02.2025 - 19:28 [ Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) ]

Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights: STATE/ENTITY – United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

04 Dec 2024
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
JAL
GBR 15/2024
– terrorism
– freedom of opinion and expression
– freedom of peaceful assembly and of association
– privacy
Information received concerning the potentially inappropriate use of provisions of the Terrorism Act 2000, the Terrorism Act 2006, and the Anti-Terrorism and Border Security Act 2019. These provisions appear to have been employed to investigate, detain, collect data, and prosecute political activists and journalists, raising concerns about potential infringements of their fundamental
rights.

Alleged victims: 6

(…)

According to the information received:
Powers under counter-terrorism legislation have been used on multiple occasions to examine, detain, and arrest journalists and activists, particularly at the UK border. It is alleged that journalists and activists who are critical of Western foreign policy in the context of the conflict in the Middle East and the Russia-Ukraine war are especially affected by the reported misuse of these powers. In particular, schedule 7 of the Terrorism Act 2000, and schedule 3 of the Counter-Terrorism and Border Security Act 2019, have been used to examine and obtain data from journalists and activists, including Johanna Ross (Ganyukova), John Laughland, Kit Klarenberg, Craig Murray and Richard Medhurst in circumstances where they appear to have no credible connection to “terrorist” or “hostile” activity. Furthermore, section 12 of the Terrorism Act 2000 has been used to charge journalists and activists, including Richard Barnard and Richard Medhurst, for allegedly expressing support for a “proscribed organisation” in the course of activism and media reporting.

Without having knowledge of the material that may have substantiated the investigations or charges, we raise concern about an alleged pattern of overuse, or other misuse, of counter-terrorism legislation to target legitimate freedom of expression and opinion, including public interest media reporting, and related freedoms of peaceful assembly and association, and political
dissent or activism.

(…)

Ben Saul
Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism

Irene Khan
Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression

Gina Romero
Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association

Ana Brian Nougrères
Special Rapporteur on the right to privacy

11.02.2025 - 19:24 [ Craig Murray ]

United Nations Censures UK Over Abuse of Terrorism Act Against Journalists and Activists

(February 6, 2025)

Four UN Special Rapporteurs have written jointly to the UK government demanding explanation of its inappropriate persecution of journalists and political activists under the Terrorism Act. They state that those persecuted:

appear to have no credible connection to “terrorist” or “hostile” activity

The cases taken up by the United Nations are those of Johanna Ross (Ganyukova), John Laughland, Kit Klarenberg, Craig Murray (yes, me), Richard Barnard and Richard Medhurst.

09.02.2025 - 17:35 [ Computer and Communications Industry Association (CCIA) ]

CCIA Responds to Reports of UK Demand for Worldwide Apple iCloud Access

The following can be attributed to CCIA President & CEO Matt Schruers:

“As the recent Salt Typhoon breach makes clear, end-to-end encryption may be the only safeguard standing between Americans’ sensitive personal and business data and foreign adversaries.

“Reports that Apple has been secretly ordered by the UK Government to weaken its encryption, including in the United States, are a troubling development, if accurate. Decisions about Americans’ privacy and security should be made in America, in an open and transparent fashion, not through secret orders from abroad requiring keys be left under doormats.”

09.02.2025 - 17:30 [ Forbes ]

Apple’s ‘Dangerous’ iPhone Update Is Much Worse Than You Think

So, why is this worse than you think. In my view — and no one can officially comment, so “views” will be all we can share — any such government action would not stop with Apple. Not to over-simplify matters, but a bad actor would simply run Google’s helpful switch to Android software. If the U.K is going after Apple, it’s also going after Google and Meta and others. Why would they not? But Soviet-style, none of these other parties can comment or answer questions or confirm or deny.

08.02.2025 - 17:46 [ Washington Post ]

U.K. orders Apple to let it spy on users’ encrypted accounts

(February 7, 2025)

The law, known by critics as the Snoopers’ Charter, makes it a criminal offense to reveal that the government has even made such a demand. An Apple spokesman declined to comment.

Apple can appeal the U.K. capability notice to a secret technical panel, which would consider arguments about the expense of the requirement, and to a judge who would weigh whether the request was in proportion to the government’s needs. But the law does not permit Apple to delay complying during an appeal.

08.02.2025 - 17:26 [ theVerge.com ]

Apple ordered to open encrypted user accounts globally to UK spying

Apple’s iCloud backups aren’t encrypted by default, but the Advanced Data Protection option was added in 2022, and must be enabled manually. It uses end-to-end encryption so that not even Apple can access encrypted files. In response to the order, Apple is expected to simply stop offering Advanced Data Protection in the UK. This wouldn’t meet the UK’s demand for access to files shared by global users, however.

08.02.2025 - 17:21 [ TKP.at ]

UK verlangt Zugriff auf verschlüsselte Daten aller Apple-Nutzer weltweit

(today)

Hintertüren, wie die von den Briten geforderte, sind von Natur aus gefährlich. Beim Hack der US-Kommunikationssysteme im Jahr 2024, der angeblich von chinesischen Akteuren durchgeführt wurde, wurde eine Hintertür verwendet, die die USA und andere Regierungen gefordert hatten:

„Dies ist nicht das erste Mal, dass Hacker die von CALEA vorgeschriebenen Abhör-Backdoors ausnutzen. Wie der Computersicherheitsexperte Nicholas Weaver 2015 gegenüber Lawfare betonte, „muss jede in den USA verkaufte Telefonanlage die Möglichkeit bieten, eine große Anzahl von Anrufen effizient abzuhören. Und da die USA einen so großen Markt darstellen, bedeutet dies, dass praktisch jede weltweit verkaufte Telefonanlage die Funktion ‚Lawful Intercept‘ enthält.“

Vor zwei Jahrzehnten wurde diese obligatorische Abhörfunktion von Hackern, die es auf Vodafone Griechenland abgesehen hatten, unterwandert. Sie fingen Telefongespräche des Premierministers des Landes und hochrangiger politischer, polizeilicher und militärischer Beamter ab.“

08.02.2025 - 17:15 [ Techdirt ]

Snooper‘s Charter May Not ‚Increase‘ Surveillance… But Tries To Legalize Over A Decade Of Secret, Illegal Mass Surveillance

(November 6, 2015)

Earlier this week, we wrote about the UK’s release of its new Snooper’s Charter bill, where we noted that the government spin on it was fairly dizzying. I noted at the time that while the government kept insisting that it wasn’t adding a requirement to backdoor encryption, that was misleading because the text of the bill indicated the government believed such a mandate already existed. And that’s only the least of it. The bill and the discussion around it simply confirmed that the UK government engaged in mass surveillance for many, many years, and until now only a “tiny handful” of government ministers even knew about it.

That’s kind of astounding.

And, amazingly, the government is using this fact to argue that the new bill is a good thing because it actually “limits and restricts” activity that it secretly engaged in for years and years.

08.02.2025 - 17:13 [ Techdirt ]

UK Government Goes Full Orwell: Snooper‘s Charter, Encryption Backdoors, Free Speech Suppression

(May 28, 2015)

The old joke goes “George Orwell’s 1984 was a warning, not a ‘how to’ manual.” But that joke is increasingly less funny as the UK really seems to be doing everything it can to put in place Orwell’s fictitious vision — just a few decades later.

(…)

That first sentence is about the extremism orders, but the second part may be even more troubling. It’s the Queen making it clear that the Snooper’s Charter is returning — but even worse than before.

28.08.2024 - 12:17 [ Yahoo Singapore News ]

Starmer in Germany for first bilateral trip as UK PM

Starmer‘s Labour party had said it would seek a security and defence treaty with Germany if it won the July 4 general election, which it did by a landslide — propelling him to the premiership.

11.04.2024 - 15:00 [ Axios ]

Scoop: Senior U.S. general to visit Israel to coordinate on Iran attack threat

Gen. Erik Kurilla, commander of the U.S. Central Command, is expected to meet Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and senior Israel Defense Forces officials.

Israeli officials say they are preparing for a possible unprecedented direct attack from Iranian soil using ballistic missiles, drones and cruise missiles against Israeli targets.

In such a scenario, Israel will retaliate with a direct attack against Iran, the officials said.

11.04.2024 - 14:44 [ ChannelNewsAsia.com ]

Biden promises Israel ‚ironclad‘ support against Iran reprisals

The US has been tight-lipped in its public reaction to the Apr 1 strike, saying it has not determined whether Israel struck a diplomatic facility, which would breach international agreements on the inviolability of embassies and consulates.

11.04.2024 - 14:33 [ Bloomberg ]

US Sees Imminent Missile Strike on Israel by Iran, Proxies

The US and its allies believe major missile or drone strikes by Iran or its proxies against military and government targets in Israel are imminent, in what would mark a significant widening of the six-month-old conflict, according to people familiar with the intelligence.

14.03.2024 - 17:18 [ Middle East Eye ]

I sued the government over ‚extremism‘ and I know the game Gove is playing

The British public should realise that Muslim scapegoats today, much like the Jewish, Irish or Black scapegoats used by demagogues yesterday, are not their enemies

14.03.2024 - 17:10 [ Middle East Eye ]

UK government targets Muslim groups with new definition of extremism

In an earlier statement, Gove‘s Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities said the definition had been updated to respond to an “increased extremist threat since October 7 terror attacks in Israel”, citing an increase in reported antisemitic and anti-Muslim hate crimes.

It said the new definition would be used by government departments and officials to help them decide which groups they should engage with and fund, and to identify “extremist organisations, individuals and behaviours”.

But it said: “This definition is not statutory and has no effect on the existing criminal law – it applies to the operations of Government itself.”

29.01.2024 - 06:40 [ New York Times ]

Where Is Hamas Getting Its Weapons? Increasingly, From Israel.

But recent intelligence has shown the extent to which Hamas has been able to build many of its rockets and anti-tank weaponry out of the thousands of munitions that failed to detonate when Israel lobbed them into Gaza, according to weapons experts and Israeli and Western intelligence officials. Hamas is also arming its fighters with weapons stolen from Israeli military bases.

Intelligence gathered during months of fighting revealed that, just as the Israeli authorities misjudged Hamas’s intentions before Oct. 7, they also underestimated its ability to obtain arms.

07.10.2023 - 13:30 [ Marc Polymeropoulos, Retired from three letter agency. @msnbc contributor / Twitter ]

A staggering intelligence failure. Hard to comprehend how this was missed. Expect a massive military response in Gaza, including possible ground invasion, and potential for further escalation. All eyes on Iran as well. Thoughts with friends in Israel.

07.10.2023 - 12:54 [ Times of Israel ]

‘A colossal failure’ as Gaza’s Hamas terrorists infiltrate, catch Israel unprepared

“All of Israel is asking itself: Where is the IDF, where is the police, where is the security?” agreed Eli Maron, the former head of the Israeli Navy, alongside him in the studio. “It’s a colossal failure; the hierarchies have simply failed, with vast consequences.”

Amos Yadlin, a former IDF intelligence chief, invoked echoes of the Yom Kippur War — another attack marked by “intelligence failure,” with the enemy initiating conflict.

24.02.2023 - 19:25 [ ZDF ]

Britischer Geheimdienst – London: Militärisches Patt bei Ukraine-Krieg

(21.01.2023)

Im russischen Angriffskrieg gegen die Ukraine herrscht nach britischer Einschätzung derzeit ein militärisches Patt. Das britische Verteidigungsministerium teilte am heutigen Samstag mit:

„Der Konflikt befindet sich insgesamt in einer Sackgasse.“

24.10.2022 - 06:21 [ Telegraph.co.uk ]

Britain warns Russia against escalating the war in Ukraine after false ‘dirty bomb’ claim

Ben Wallace refutes General Sergei Shoigu‘s allegations that the UK is helping Kyiv gather nuclear material to use on the battlefield

24.10.2022 - 05:55 [ DailyMail.co.uk ]

Destined for Downing Street? Rishi Sunak could be named PM TODAY after Boris Johnson pulls out of Tory leadership contest and Penny Mordaunt well short of the 100 supporters she needs ahead of 2pm deadline

– Rishi Sunak, who launched his bid yesterday morning, has received public backing of more than 150 Tory MPs
– As of last night, 155 MPs said they are backing Mr Sunak, while 25 had spoken out in support of Ms Mordaunt
– A further 54 who were hoping Mr Johnson would return are yet to publicly reveal to whom they will now back
– Mr Johnson earlier said he had in fact reached the ‚very high hurdle of 102 nominations‘ as he bowed out
– Ms Mordaunt‘s team, though, believe his decision to pull himself from the race will ‚propel her over the line‘

13.10.2022 - 09:44 [ Welt.de ]

Der Fall „Curveball“: Wie ein BND-Informant den Irak-Krieg auslöste

(28.8.2011)

Diese bis heute verbreitete Darstellung ist unangenehm für die Bundesrepublik. Deutschland steht da als ein Land, das ein Doppelspiel betrieben hat: nach außen den Pazifisten geben – und hintenherum über seinen Geheimdienst einen entscheidenden Grund für die militärische Intervention liefern. Der Bundesnachrichtendienst nahm die Vorwürfe schweigend hin.

17.07.2022 - 14:03 [ Rishi Sunak / Telegraph.co.uk ]

We got Brexit done – now we must capitalise on the freedoms it gave us

Second, the government would also remove the burdens of GDPR, creating in its place the most dynamic data protection regime in the world.

The EU’s Byzantine rules are preventing British tech companies from innovating and public services from sharing data to prevent crime. As any internet user can see, GDPR – with all its bureaucratic box-ticking – is clearly not working and needs to be replaced.

04.06.2022 - 13:15 [ theGuardian.com ]

UK officials in line for immunity in assisting crimes overseas, say critics

Exclusive: Draft security bill would let spies and ministers enable killings and torture, warn charity and ex-minister

10.04.2022 - 23:41 [ Junge Welt ]

USA gegen Julian Assange: Jedes Mittel recht

Dabei geht es einerseits laut der Aussagen geschützter Zeugen um eine Person, die für die Sicherheitsabteilung der Firma Las Vegas Sands gearbeitet hat. In dieser Position soll sie Mittelsmann für die Weiterleitung der Informationen zwischen UC Global und der CIA gewesen sein. Zudem verlangt das Gericht die Identität der Besitzer von IP-Adressen zu erfahren, die von den USA aus auf den Server im UC Global Hauptquartier in Spanien zugegriffen haben. Zum derzeitigen Zustand Assanges erklärte Martínez, der den Inhaftierten vor dem Interview am 27. März in Belmarsh besucht hatte: »Er ist geistig und körperlich sehr schwach. Um es deutlich zu sagen, er ist am Ende.«

22.01.2022 - 14:43 [ DailyMail.co.uk ]

New Spycatcher affair at the BBC as Government scrambles for gagging order to stop story the broadcaster insists is ‚overwhelmingly in the public interest‘

The BBC declined to comment on the details of the story, but told the Telegraph that its reporting was in the public interest.

A BBC spokesman said: ‚The Attorney General has issued proceedings against the BBC with a view to obtaining an injunction to prevent publication of a proposed BBC news story.