The Story Kill list and cover-up: how I took on the government and won
Jul 15, 2025
In this engaging discussion, Larisa Brown, Defence Editor at The Times and author of The Gardener of Lashkar Ghar, shares her decade of reporting on Afghanistan. She reveals the shocking data breach that endangered 33,000 Afghan allies, leading to a government cover-up. Larisa discusses the ethical dilemmas of transparency versus security and the intense fear faced by those who supported British troops. With the UK government investing £7 billion to relocate at-risk Afghans, she highlights the urgent need for accountability amid political maneuvering.
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Journalist Faced Government Injunction
- Larisa Brown was served a super injunction at the Ministry of Defence to suppress reporting on the data breach.
- She had to keep the story secret, informing only a few trusted people, reflecting the government's strong attempt to conceal the leak.
Facebook Leak Exposes Thousands
- An Afghan posted a message on Facebook claiming to have a database of 33,000 applications, which alarmed others when parts were published.
- This inadvertently exposed up to 100,000 people to risk as details spread from UK-based Afghans to those in Afghanistan.
Constant Fear of Taliban Retribution
- It is uncertain if the Taliban possessed the leaked list, but the fear that they might was and remains very real.
- Afghans lived in constant terror and secrecy, often hiding to escape potential Taliban targeting.