The UK government blocked The Times from revealing the full extent of General Sir Gwyn Jenkins’s role in a major data leak involving Afghan personnel—just days before announcing his promotion to one of the country’s top military positions, according to an investigation by The Times UK.
In May 2025, Jenkins was appointed First Sea Lord—head of the Royal Navy—in a move approved by King Charles III. The announcement came amid efforts by government lawyers to prevent The Times from reporting that Jenkins, as Director of Special Forces, was in charge of the soldier responsible for a security breach that put up to 100,000 Afghans at risk.
The leak, which occurred in February 2022, involved the inadvertent transmission of a database containing names, addresses, and contact details of former Afghan allies, including members of the elite UK-trained “Triples” units. The soldier responsible was reportedly based at Regent’s Park Barracks, the headquarters of UK Special Forces, under Jenkins’s direct command at the time.
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) initially permitted The Times to publish a story referencing a “national security incident” in January 2025, having been assured that Jenkins was not in command of the involved personnel. However, The Times later uncovered evidence proving otherwise. When it sought to correct the record, government lawyers threatened legal action, citing a rare superinjunction to block publication—an unprecedented move for a case not involving private individuals but a serving top military officer.
Legal director of The Times, Pia Sarma, criticized the government’s shifting position, calling it a “misuse of the order” and a threat to press freedom. “The Times is concerned that this inconsistent approach is a misuse of the order in circumstances where an article of similar content, but containing what we have learnt was inaccurate information, was not objected to,” she said.
The decision to promote Jenkins, who had previously been rejected as National Security Adviser by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer in favor of diplomat Jonathan Powell, has drawn scrutiny. Defence Secretary John Healey, who subsequently found Jenkins another high-ranking role, defended him as an “outstanding military officer,” urging accountability to rest with ministers.
The data leak’s full ramifications remain unclear, though former Defence Secretary Ben Wallace has stated that no evidence suggests the Taliban accessed the compromised information. Nevertheless, Wallace emphasized the gravity of the breach, noting it could have exposed Afghans living under Taliban rule to grave danger.
Complicating the controversy, Jenkins was also implicated in a separate inquiry into alleged war crimes committed by UK Special Forces in Afghanistan. BBC Panorama previously reported that in 2011, Jenkins—then a colonel—received records of conversations suggesting extrajudicial killings. Instead of referring the matter to military police, he reportedly placed the documents in a safe, citing chain-of-command protocols.
Concerns have also been raised regarding the role of UK Special Forces in evaluating asylum applications from Afghan allies. In court proceedings earlier this year, Natalie Moore, head of the UK’s Afghan resettlement scheme, admitted that UK Special Forces had “determined” the fate of thousands of applications under the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP)—despite earlier MoD denials.
Between March and October 2023, all 1,585 reviewed applications from Afghan special forces operatives were rejected—many by a single officer. Documents submitted to the court later revealed that Jenkins, by then Vice-Chief of the Defence Staff, had no involvement in the appointment or actions of that officer. Nonetheless, critics argue that UKSF’s involvement in deciding the fate of former comrades—some of whom may hold evidence of past misconduct—represents a clear conflict of interest.
Johnny Mercer, Veterans Minister and former army officer, voiced deep concern over the rejections. He warned the government in early 2024 that at least five Afghans had been killed after being denied sanctuary, stating: “The role of UK Special Forces in denying applications is deeply inappropriate and a significant conflict of interest.”
The ongoing inquiry into alleged war crimes, chaired by Lord Justice Haddon-Cave, is expected to hear testimony from Afghan witnesses—many of whom can only provide evidence if granted sanctuary in the UK.
The MoD has since announced a review of ARAP decisions and pledged to address “inconsistencies.” Still, the revelation that Jenkins’s role in the original data breach was initially obscured—coupled with the timing of his promotion—has raised broader questions about transparency and accountability at the highest levels of the British military.
