I want to give you a concrete example of how the UK government deliberately sets out to manufacture false sexual allegations against people it considers a threat. I do so to educate those who view this concept as an unthinkable “conspiracy theory”. I write of a case of which I have expert knowledge; it is my own case.
I became an “enemy of the state” when, as British Ambassador, I protested against UK and US complicity in torture and extraordinary rendition in Uzbekistan. As detailed in Murder in Samarkand, I very quickly found myself suspended and subject to civil service investigation of disciplinary allegations against me, the worst of which was that I extorted sex from visa applicants. Blair’s No. 10 quickly leaked this allegation against me to the Daily Mail.
I was in a state of complete shock. I had no idea at all what could have led to such allegations. The Kafkaesque nightmare deepened when I was presented with the evidence against me.
The case was of a young woman named Albina Safarova. I was shown her visa application documents by the investigating officer. These included her passport photo, and she was a strikingly beautiful young woman. On the back of her visa application the Visa Officer had written “HMA (Her Majesty’s Ambassador, i.e. me) authorises issue”. The investigation had obtained a statement from the Visa Officer, in which she stated that she had issued the Visa after being informed by two British diplomats that Ms Safarova was a friend of mine. To complete the evidence, the original application was supported by a letter from Ms Safarova’s sponsor, a Mr Dermot Hassett, who stated in the application that the circumstances of the application were known to the British Ambassador, Mr Craig Murray.
All of which seems firm and damning evidence of, at the least, unwarranted interference in visa issues.
Except for this. Not only had I never had any form of sexual encounter with Ms Albina Safarova, I had never met her or even heard of her. The same was true of Mr Dermot Hassett. Not only were they not my friends, I had no idea they existed.
After I left the FCO, I gave the papers to a veteran investigative reporter, Bob Graham, who contacted Dermot Hassett. Graham told me that Hassett explained that a British diplomat – one of the two who had told the Visa Officer Ms Safarova was my friend – had instructed him to write my name into the visa application, with the assurance that the visa would be granted.
So the British government had put substantial effort into the preparation of fake documents connecting me to Ms Safarova and Mr Hassett and this visa application. Yet the whole thing was entirely fake. Those British diplomats had lied, and convinced Mr Hassett and the Visa Officer to produce “independent” documents corroborating those lies.
Interestingly, they never produced any allegation from Ms Safarova that a sexual relationship was involved. In the absence of this and of any evidence that I had ever met Safarova, and in view of the fact the Visa Officer’s evidence crucially stated it was other British diplomats, not me, who told her Safarova was my friend, I was acquitted. No other incident was ever alleged. But mud sticks, and the smear was used to discredit my evidence on torture and extraordinary rendition, and has been so used ever since.
Alex Salmond is far more of a threat to the British establishment than I ever was. So is Julian Assange and so is Tommy Sheridan. Anybody who looks at any of these examples, and does not understand that the state will actually fabricate allegations and fabricate evidence to back them, is a fool.
I know. It happened to me.
This reminds me that in 2014 a video on the internet urged us to vote “No” to independence “because Alex Salmond shags grannies” [= has sex with grandmothers]. This video was attributed to “Rangers fans against independence”. Divide and rule ??
Good grief. It’s even worse than I feared. To think I once genuinely believed that, despite the obvious nastiness of the tories, my government would protect me! I know niw if course tgat Westminster will do nothing of the kind. It has stolen the state pension from thousands of women to the tune of £48k pr head It has stolen pension credits from poor oaps to thw tune of £7k pr couple. It has stolen the lives of citizens who served in the forces by allowing them to suffer injury and sickness but not receive sufficient help, or housing, or money. It has stolen the innocence of the children who were the victims of their paedophiles. It has killed those (like Willie McRae) who were a threat and now they are gunning for Alex Salmond. It may not be much, but I believe you I and I am so sorry you had to endure such horror. Please come and live in Scotland. Restore your name, your faith and your life
Some two weeks ago I suggested to my wife that other allegations would come out of the woodwork regarding Alex, simply because he had shown Lesley Evans and her cohorts to have acted in concert to discredit him and undermine the independence movement and guess what – all these so called allegations against Alex have appeared out of the blue!
In my view this is not a coincidence – it is a blatant attempt to sideline Alex because, as you say, he is the greatest threat to the Westminster Establishment.
Voters in the west – and I include the greatest majority in both the U.K. and the US – are conditioned to point blame for these types of activities on ‘less friendly’ nations and simply do not accept that the likes of MI5 or MI6 would stoop to fabricate evidence against any U.K. citizens – how idiotic the are!
The 2014 Scottish Independence Referendum raised significant and widespread doubts about many issues both in the run up to the vote and at counts across Scotland.
Many of us complained but such complaints were never replied too even though the evidence was compelling.
One fact emerged from the 2014 Referendum is that the Scottish electorate will not be as nieive or as trusting when indyref2 is held.
Problem is Tommy exercised a lot of cupidity in relation to his own evidence
Omg! At last, this happened to me!
I was set up and some people look at me as if I am insane when I tell them!
Looks like he really got up some individual’s nose. ? But not the whole British Government, I don’t think. Conspiracy taken to extreme lengths maybe. ?
This is not news to me that the Brittish government would set up anyone who would seek to work against the establishment …they have divided countries and caused deaths by the thousands in attemots to control countries and the assessts that they had …
OMG you have my sympathy Sir Nothing will surprise me with the wm government..I detest them with a passion. Alex will get through this he is strong and has a million and more Scots standing beside him Thank you for sharing your dreadful experience with me and many others
This is a case of AS being hung before the evidence is even presented, if there is any available. LEts hear from the complainants now. Why have they waited years before complaining?
Kangaroo court.
How are they going to find an unbiased jury?
They are still doing it to the radical republican Robert Burns with their fa’se Loyal Burnt Toasts.
This whole matter stinks of Mundell and his Tory cronies. I hope when Alex get his name cleared there is a full investigation into Mundell’s involvement.
We all know this dirty tricks are by these people that Lord over us law abiding Scot’s,only way this will stop is by YES2-INDY2 !
Dear Craig,
Sadly I know what you say is VERY true and happens all the time and on many levels.
Your determination to do the right thing will not be forgotten in the long run. Don’t underestimate the effect that you have already made.
Good luck and thanks for sharing.
P.
It shows how scared they are in losing power and their free cash cows will come to an end. Theresa May and her party are the ones who are the danger to the people in this country and only a man such as Jeremy Corbyn will be the one to bring this kind of politics to an end. I vote for Labour with Jeremy Corbyn at the head to heal this country. For USA I would vote for Bernie Saunders who will bring US back to a power who wont abuse it and cares for the people no matter who they are.
Jeremy Corbyn, against nuclear weapons, except the nuclear weapons in Scotland ie trident and it’s warheads. Jeremy Corbyn allowed a free vote to his party to voted to renew WMD to the tune of around £248 billion…I would never vote for such a person. He should remove these weapons from Scottish waters immediately.
Jeremy Corbyn who advocates for independence for Venezuela and other small countries…but not for Scotland…I would never vote for such a person.
Jeremy Corbyn who thinks it would be too complicated for Scotland to have its own laws !!!.. I would never vote for such a dimwitted person who knows nothing about Scotland and no doubt cares less.
The only party getting my vote will be the SNP because they are the party who will lead us to independence for Scotland….as us our RIGHT.
Patricia, apparently you don’t know much about Bernie. He wants to give the taxpayers free everything, college, housing, healthcare, etc. Where will he get the money? From the taxpayers. Half the US now is living off the working half. Bernie is an unabashed socialist and a political moron.
Very many thanks to Craig for giving us such a clear and damning account of his treatment at the hands of British Intelligence and, of course, the Daily Mail. What a brave man he is to continue his struggle against such a powerful, unscrupulous and dangerous establishment.
I can corroborate this. But you make the point that its the State Its not just “Tories” or ” Labour” its whoever is in power that has a lot to lose. The UK government makes sure anyone that can reveal an inconvenient truth becomes an unreliable source. They do it from the bottom up and the moment the threat becomes possible. I wrote a book – The honest Untruth. Was told if I published it, I should make sure I say goodbye to my family forever and hide in a cave and that story contains much smaller fry that extraordinary rendition.
The U.K. is not a democracy Scotland must leave now !!!
HOW VERY PLEASED I WAS TO READ THE COMMENTS THAT SOME PEOPLE ARE NOT TAKEN IN BY THESE HEINOUS ALLEGATIONS, CRAIG MURREY I SALUTE YOU. I SUPPORT ALEX SALMOND 100% REMEMBER IT IS INNOCENT TILL PROVED GUILTY AND NOT THE OTHER WAY ABOUT AS SOME NARROW-MINDED PEOPLE SEEM TO THINK. SAOR ALBA.
Still hoping to get you to speak in Rothesay under the aegis of “Scottish History Group Rothesay”
Sturgeon: ‘Case for independence bigger than one man’
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-47020057
Nicola Sturgeon to go full steam ahead for IndyRef2
I’ve always assumed that the sexual allegations against Edward Heath were manufactured but how does it benefit the establishment to smear a man who is dead?
This is my theory:
1) It’s easy to smear dead men because they can’t defend themselves
2) Smearing a lot of dead men plants the idea in the public mind that most men are sexual predators so it makes it easier to smear live men
Happens elsewhere too, Craig. Anwar Ibrahim in Malaysia springs to mind.
The establishment will do anything to discredit you if you don’t toe the far right line. While serving on different occasions, I was smashed over the face with an SA80. Same guy booted me in the ribs, breaking one, a cook came to. Me as I slept with a a carving knife, In Iraq I was subjected to anti scottish ridicule, and I ended up in Iraq field hospital with seven stitches,, a male grabbed me from behind on an attempted sexual assault, four other witness closed ranks,
On social media RLC closed group I challenged a guy who insists Jeremy Corbyn should be hung, the creep proceeded to download pictures of my then 12 year old niece and put txt, “is this your current peedo victim,
I’ve received lots of pm by serving and ex military with threats and discredited fake stories of myself.
This is one elongated link proving the lengths they are prepared to go to discredit those who break ranks
https://thewaltercumpershunterclub.wordpress.com/2018/12/15/robert-sheridan-armed-forces-troll/
I have been scrupulously neutral about the allegations made against Alex Salmond, but in view of what has hapened to a British ambassador in the case outlined here, I have come to the view that the British Government is well capable of fabricating ‘convincing’ evidence against anyone, for their own poltical ends.
There is no level our government will stoop to to cover up their backing of despots, I remember when Graig Murray voiced his concerns about the tortures carried out with the UK,s knowledge and the treatment he received from sexual misconduct to he’s had a nervous breakdown all lies to cover up our involvement.
So who paid you to write this fabricated story..Alex Salmond or his legal defence tran..or maybe the SNP..You do write a good script for a comedy ?
The history of the British Empire is of undermining foreign governments and sovereign states , so by extension they would treat anyone not towing the ” party line ” with extreme prejudice . Your story is one that should be known to the Great British public though the power of the Main Stream Media is such that you would come across as a disaffected former employee . I pray for Scottish independence , just a chance to build a fairer society for people like you and me and future citizens .Thanks for sharing your story and the best of luck in the future .
So was Rabbie Burns and they maligned and tried to murder him.