Nicholas Langman
Encyclopedia
Nicholas John Andrew Langman (born 1960) is an officer for the British
secret service organisation MI6
.
During 2005, he was the head of MI6 at the British Embassy in Athens
.
The Greek
newspaper Proto Thema
named Langman as being responsible for the abduction, interrogation
and torture
of at least 28 Pakistani nationals.
A Greek lawyer, Frangiskos Ragoussis, has filed a criminal complaint against Langman and eight Greek agents, and threatened to seek Langman's extradition
.
Although British newspapers are currently forbidden from revealing Langman's name, by the standing D-Notice against printing the names of serving intelligence officers, on 30 December 2005 the British Newspaper The Morning Star ran a front-page article naming him. In its 7 January 2006 edition, the British Newspaper Socialist Worker
also named him. The British satirical magazine Private Eye
also named Langman in its 6 January 2006 (No. 1149) edition.
The allegations were first denied by the Foreign Secretary Jack Straw
, but on January 1, 2006, a Foreign Office spokesman admitted that MI6 officers were present at the interrogations but were not actively "involved in the detention, interrogation and mistreatment [of the detainees]".
and was one of two MI6 officers in the city during the night of the death of Diana, Princess of Wales
. His previous postings were Montevideo
(1986) and New York
(1988). He was posted to Paris in 1994.
At the Royal Courts of Justice on 18 February 2008, during the inquest in to the death of Diana, Princess of Wales
, Mohamed Al Fayed listed Nicholas Langman in connection with his allegations of a plot to kill Princess Diana.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
secret service organisation MI6
Secret Intelligence Service
The Secret Intelligence Service is responsible for supplying the British Government with foreign intelligence. Alongside the internal Security Service , the Government Communications Headquarters and the Defence Intelligence , it operates under the formal direction of the Joint Intelligence...
.
During 2005, he was the head of MI6 at the British Embassy in Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
.
The Greek
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
newspaper Proto Thema
Proto Thema
To Proto Thema is a Greek newspaper, published every Sunday. It was launched in 2005 by Makis Triantafyllopoulos, Themos Anastasiadis, and Tassos Karamitsos...
named Langman as being responsible for the abduction, interrogation
Interrogation
Interrogation is interviewing as commonly employed by officers of the police, military, and Intelligence agencies with the goal of extracting a confession or obtaining information. Subjects of interrogation are often the suspects, victims, or witnesses of a crime...
and torture
Torture
Torture is the act of inflicting severe pain as a means of punishment, revenge, forcing information or a confession, or simply as an act of cruelty. Throughout history, torture has often been used as a method of political re-education, interrogation, punishment, and coercion...
of at least 28 Pakistani nationals.
A Greek lawyer, Frangiskos Ragoussis, has filed a criminal complaint against Langman and eight Greek agents, and threatened to seek Langman's extradition
Extradition
Extradition is the official process whereby one nation or state surrenders a suspected or convicted criminal to another nation or state. Between nation states, extradition is regulated by treaties...
.
Although British newspapers are currently forbidden from revealing Langman's name, by the standing D-Notice against printing the names of serving intelligence officers, on 30 December 2005 the British Newspaper The Morning Star ran a front-page article naming him. In its 7 January 2006 edition, the British Newspaper Socialist Worker
Socialist Worker
Socialist Worker is the name of several socialist/communist newspapers associated with the International Socialist Tendency...
also named him. The British satirical magazine Private Eye
Private Eye
Private Eye is a fortnightly British satirical and current affairs magazine, edited by Ian Hislop.Since its first publication in 1961, Private Eye has been a prominent critic and lampooner of public figures and entities that it deemed guilty of any of the sins of incompetence, inefficiency,...
also named Langman in its 6 January 2006 (No. 1149) edition.
The allegations were first denied by the Foreign Secretary Jack Straw
Jack Straw
Jack Straw , British politician.Jack Straw may also refer to:* Jack Straw , English* "Jack Straw" , 1971 song by the Grateful Dead* Jack Straw by W...
, but on January 1, 2006, a Foreign Office spokesman admitted that MI6 officers were present at the interrogations but were not actively "involved in the detention, interrogation and mistreatment [of the detainees]".
Earlier career
In 1997, he was based in ParisParis
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
and was one of two MI6 officers in the city during the night of the death of Diana, Princess of Wales
Diana, Princess of Wales
Diana, Princess of Wales was the first wife of Charles, Prince of Wales, whom she married on 29 July 1981, and an international charity and fundraising figure, as well as a preeminent celebrity of the late 20th century...
. His previous postings were Montevideo
Montevideo
Montevideo is the largest city, the capital, and the chief port of Uruguay. The settlement was established in 1726 by Bruno Mauricio de Zabala, as a strategic move amidst a Spanish-Portuguese dispute over the platine region, and as a counter to the Portuguese colony at Colonia del Sacramento...
(1986) and New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
(1988). He was posted to Paris in 1994.
At the Royal Courts of Justice on 18 February 2008, during the inquest in to the death of Diana, Princess of Wales
Diana, Princess of Wales
Diana, Princess of Wales was the first wife of Charles, Prince of Wales, whom she married on 29 July 1981, and an international charity and fundraising figure, as well as a preeminent celebrity of the late 20th century...
, Mohamed Al Fayed listed Nicholas Langman in connection with his allegations of a plot to kill Princess Diana.
External links
- "HM Diplomatic Service Overseas Reference List" - July/August 2005
- "Greece to investigate July 7 torture allegations" - Independent, UK - 28 December 2005
- "Greece urged to investigate MI6 torture link" - Guardian, UK - 28 December 2005
- "Al Fayed: Prince Phillip and Blair Ordered Murder" - Daily Express, UK - 19 January 2005