Shamima Begum’s lawyer has been forced to cough up thousands of pounds after being fined for making false antisemitic claims on TV.
Mohammed Tasnime Akunjee was ordered by the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal to pay £6,500 for undermining trust in the legal profession after participating in a show that attacked the law firm Mishcon de Reya.
Akunjee, 46, who represented Begum in her citizenship battle, made inaccurate statements about the firm during his appearance on Palestine Declassified in September 2022.
The programme is broadcast on Iranian state-owned news network Press TV.
The 46-year-old appeared on an episode titled “Mishcon de Reya – Zionist Law Firm”.
The tribunal concluded that the “content and the tone of the programme was antisemitic” by using well-known stereotypes and tropes.
However, it also stressed Akunjee did not make any antisemitic comments himself.
Nonetheless, the solicitor made a series of “misleading” statements about Mishcon de Reya.
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Shamima Begum was just 15 years old when she left her London home to travel to Syria
ITV
He claimed that Mishcon de Reya was guilty of a criminal offence after being fined a “record sum for money laundering”, while also wrongly alleging that the firm represented General Augusto Pinochet, Chile’s former military dictator.
Akunjee appeared alongside disgraced former Labour MP Chris Williamson.
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) took action against Akunjee after receiving complaints from James Libson, managing partner of Mishcon de Reya, who is Jewish.
However, the regulator argued that Akunjee’s inaccurate statements were made because he was unprepared for the topic covered by the TV programme.
Akunjee appeared alongside disgraced former Labour MP Chris Williamson
PA
Akunjee has apologised to Mishcon de Reya and told Libson that his comments were not driven by “any malice”.
He added that the public nature of his “blunder” had caused him deep embarrassment.
The 46-year-old wrote to Palestine Declassified outling his inaccurate comments and requested that it withdraw the episode.
Alongside the £6,500 fine, Akunjee will cover £30,000 to the SRA in legal costs.
