A group of passengers and crew members from a British Airways flight that was taken hostage in Iraqi-occupied Kuwait have filed a civil suit at the High Court in London, accusing the British government and British Airways of “deliberately endangering” civilians. The 94 plaintiffs claim to have suffered severe physical and psychological damage during their ordeal, which still affects them today.
The passengers of flight BA 149 were captured in Kuwait on August 2, 1990, on their way from London to Kuala Lumpur, just hours after Iraqi ruler Saddam Hussein’s troops invaded the Gulf state. Some of the 367 passengers and crew members spent more than four months in captivity being used as human shields by Hussein.
The plaintiffs allege that London and British Airways were informed of a possible Iraqi invasion but still allowed the plane to land. They claim that the flight was used to deploy a covert special operations team in occupied Kuwait. The plaintiffs feel that they were not treated as citizens, but rather as expendable pawns for commercial and political gain. They hope that a victory in court will restore trust in the political and legal process.
British government files released in November 2021 revealed that the British ambassador to Kuwait had warned London of a possible Iraqi invasion on the night of August 2, 1990. However, this information was not passed on to British Airways, according to reports. In a previous lawsuit, passengers had accused London of knowingly putting their safety at risk by using the flight to deploy undercover agents.
British Airways has denied accusations of negligence, conspiracy, and cover-up. The airline claims that they were not warned of the invasion and did not have knowledge of the special operations team on the flight. The law firm McCue Jury & Partners announced the lawsuit in September, with each hostage potentially claiming an average of 170,000 pounds in compensation.
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In conclusion, this civil suit highlights how tragic events can impact individuals’ lives long after they occur and how it is important for those responsible to be held accountable for their actions.
