Tri-Service

Former British Army Afghan Interpreter Killed

Image: File Photo

A former Afghan interpreter for the British Army, including the Parachute Regiment, has allegedly been killed while trying to reach Britain.

Ahmadullah Popolzai, who was also known as Popol, was reportedly murdered by Iranian Forces near the city of Mashad.

Investigating these claims Forces TV spoke to the source of these reports. He’s another former interpreter who wanted to be known simply as Rafi.

He worked for the British Army for 5 years himself and was seriously injured in an IED attack. He's contacted three friends, also former interpreters living in Kandahar, who separately confirmed the death of Popolzai.

Fortunately for him Rafi has now been granted asylum in Britain but he also had to undertake the perilous journey to the UK.

He says that as a former interpreter entering Iran you are viewed with suspicion, often seen as a Western spy and he believes it’s plausible Popol could have been deliberately targeted by Iranian forces.

This is just one of the risks people take going through illegal channels to reach Britain, but Rafi said coming to the UK is still seen as far less dangerous than remaining in Afghanistan where interpreters live with the constant threat of attack from the Taliban.

But the Ministry of Defence insist they have made provision for former interpreters. Writing in a blog on the MoD website Armed Forces Minister Penny Mordaunt referred to an existing scheme for locally employed civilians in Afghanistan with what she described as "a generous redundancy package which offers 18 months salary or training with financial support."

For those who fulfil additional criteria there is an option to apply for relocation to the UK along with their families. So far the MoD say over 150 locally engaged civilians have been relocated to the UK and a further 200 have received "in-country support".

But critics say this still leaves many former interpreters vulnerable because this scheme is only open to those who were employed by British Forces in December 2012.