Johnny Mercer avoids jail but says he will not betray his sources

Ex-veterans minister Johnny Mercer has avoided a possible prison sentence after providing information to an inquiry into alleged war crimes by UK forces in Afghanistan.

The former Tory MP had been told he could face jail if he did not give the Afghanistan Inquiry the names of those who told him about murder allegations by 16:00 BST on Thursday.

Following the deadline, an inquiry spokeswoman said that Mr Mercer had “provided further information”, and that the chair would not be taking action against him “for the time being”.

In a social media post, Mr Mercer said his “position remains unchanged” and that he “will not betray those I served with who have confided in me, whatever the cost”.

“As I have repeatedly stated, it remains entirely inappropriate to name those who confided in me without their consent.

“For the avoidance of doubt: I have not and I will not.

“I will always assist the inquiry (outside of those parameters).

“This process has placed an unacceptable strain on me and my family. I am no longer a public figure; I will not be commenting further.”

It is unclear what information Mr Mercer has provided to the inquiry.

Mr Mercer served as the veterans minister until earlier this month, when his party lost the general election.

The decision by the inquiry not to take action against Mr Mercer is the latest in a long-running saga, which has seen the former minister clash with the inquiry.

Giving evidence earlier this year, Mr Mercer repeatedly refused to name officers who had given him information when he was a backbench MP.

Defending his position, he told the inquiry last month: “The one thing you can hold on to is your integrity and I will be doing that with these individuals.”

In response, inquiry chair Sir Charles Haddon-Cave said: “Integrity requires moral courage to do what is right, even when it may not be popular.”

Sir Charles had also warned the former Plymouth Moor View MP that failing to comply with the inquiry would be a “criminal offence punishable with imprisonment and/or a fine”.

The inquiry was set up in December 2022 to examine “alleged unlawful activity by UK Special Forces during deliberate detention operations in Afghanistan in the period mid-2010 to mid-2013”.