Katharine Gun: the GCHQ memo and the dropped prosecution
Verified: Documented in primary records or confirmed by reputable inquiry/reporting.
Katharine Gun, a former GCHQ translator, was charged under the Official Secrets Act with leaking a memo about an alleged US “dirty tricks” campaign to spy on UN delegates before the Iraq war. On 25 February 2004 the Crown offered no evidence and a formal not-guilty verdict was recorded. She said she had no regrets and would do it again.
Documented
In the Commons on 26 February 2004 the Government said the evidential difficulty was the inability to disprove the defence of necessity, and that it had nothing to do with any advice on the legality of the Iraq war.
Claimed, disputed or not established
The memo’s contents, an alleged US surveillance push on UN delegates, are as described in press reports. This page does not verify them. Why the case was dropped is explained here only as the Government stated it.
Sources (opened in a new tab)
- Hansard: Katharine Gun (26 Feb 2004) ↗https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/commons/2004/feb/26/katharine-gun
- The Guardian: GCHQ whistleblower cleared (25 Feb 2004) ↗https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2004/feb/25/iraq.pressandpublishing
Connected
- Section: United Kingdom
- Agencies: GCHQ
- Case board · Timeline (2004) · Document vault