Afghan interpreter shot dead by Taliban living in poverty as ‘racist’ army delays payment

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Jamal Barack was 18 when he was shot in the arm and chest during an ambush against army Scots Guards in Helmand Province. He has been waiting for compensation for 13 years

Jamal Barak cannot work due to injuries he suffered in Afghanistan (Garry F McHarg Daily Record)

An Afghan interpreter injured in a Taliban attack while working with the British army says his 13-year wait for compensation is unfair and the result of racism.

Jamal Barack was 18 when he was shot in the arm and chest during an ambush against army Scots Guards in Helmand Province.

Three weeks after the operation that saved his life, he returned to work – despite his pain.

Now 30, he lives in Glasgow with his wife, who is due to give birth in a few weeks, and cannot work due to her continuing pain. As a result, they live in poverty thanks to universal credit.

In 2019, the Ministry of Defense promised injured Afghans working with us would receive compensation – but despite repeated requests, it has still not received a penny. Colonel Simon Diggins, a former British defense attaché in Kabul, said: “The treatment between Afghan interpreters injured on duty and British soldiers is based on race.

Jamal worked with the British Army and now resides in the UK (Garry F McHarg Daily Record)

“It’s a shared risk, a shared service and they should be treated fairly.”

Jamal agreed with him, saying, “What the colonel said is correct. We are discriminated against – politics is racist. If a British soldier was injured, he would get compensation very quickly. This is not the case with Afghan interpreters.

Jamal tried to be a taxi driver, caregiver and supermarket employee, but he cannot lift heavy objects or sit in one position for long due to his injuries. The doctors’ letters we have seen confirm that he is in almost constant pain and is taking strong painkillers. He also suffers from PTSD.

Jamal said: “I really enjoyed the job and was proud to help the British Army with what they were trying to do in Afghanistan. Even after being shot, I helped them. I almost lost my life and being treated like this is heartbreaking.

Jamal asked for compensation after being shot, but was told he should stop performing, which he didn’t want to do. He applied again in 2015 but said he just had “apologies and delays”.

Jamal at work in Afghanistan (Garry F McHarg Daily Record)

He added: “My documents have been lost. I have reapplied so many times. Many of us have not received any compensation, we send e-mails, no one answers.

Former military intelligence officer Colonel Philip Ingram said: ‘It’s disgusting how the government is treating people who have given up everything to help British soldiers in Afghanistan and have been injured. This delay is shocking.

Former army chief General Sir Richard Dannatt urged the government to pay Jamal quickly. He said: “I hope that if Jamal resubmits his application, it will be considered favorably.”

The Ministry of Defense said 111 of the 135 interpreters injured in Afghanistan were on patrol – with 26 killed. He added, “Following the presentation of sufficient evidence, the government is committed to providing appropriate ex gratia medical payments to those who have worked alongside our soldiers.”

The Ministry of Defense said there have been at least 27 offers of compensation by injured performers since the program launched in 2019 with offers made to a dozen. Some £3.3million has been paid since 2013.

The Ministry of Defense has been asked to comment on the allegations of racism.

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