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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsAnne Sacoolas: US Diplomat's Wife Identified in Harry Dunn Fatal Crash
I returned to Europe from the US last week and this story is making big headlines here, especially in the UK
https://heavy.com/news/2019/10/anne-sacoolas/
While she is identified as a "US diplomat's wife," it appears that her husband does not work for the US Department of State, but for another USG agency.
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The 42-year-old Sacoolas is married to Jonathan Sacoolas, public records show. It is not clear what position he holds in the U.S. government that has provided him and his wife diplomatic immunity. The couple lives near RAF Croughton, a British Royal Air Force base currently being used by the U.S. Air Force as a communications station. Sky News referred to it as a spy base.
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Dunn was killed in a head-on collision near the base on August 27. His family and British government officials have spoken out about the incident in order to call for justice for Dunn, encouraging Sacoolas to return to Britain to face questioning and potential charges. She has not been accused of any criminal wrongdoing at this point. Officials in the U.K. have encouraged the U.S. to waive Sacoolas diplomatic immunity.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Monday, I do not think that it can be right to use the process of diplomatic immunity for this type of purpose. I hope that Anne Sacoolas will come back and will engage properly with the processes of law as they are carried out in this country. Thats a point that weve raised or are raising today with the American Ambassador here in the U.K., and I hope it will be resolved very shortly. And to anticipate a question you might want to raise, if we cant resolve it then of course I will be raising it myself personally with the White House.
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More at the link.
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While I am most decidedly NOT a fan of BoJo, I agree with him on this. I wonder whether MF45 will refer to any upcoming exchange about this as "perfect."
CanonRay
(14,103 posts)that she never had diplomatic immunity. Her spouse never did the paperwork. Apparently she BSd and then left the country. It's constantly on the news here.
BlueMTexpat
(15,369 posts)(1, 2, 3, 4 and World) in my local cable package, as well as ITV (1, 2, 3, 4) and Sky and all the news is absolutely full of this.
TheBlackAdder
(28,202 posts)struggle4progress
(118,285 posts)Jacob Dirnhuber
8 Oct 2019, 12:30
... Anne was able to claim diplomatic immunity after a special deal was put in place between the UK and the US which gives staff and their families based at RAF Croughton diplomatic immunity.
Usually, diplomatic immunity only covers those diplomats and their dependants based in London.
The special arrangement has been in place as early as 1994 for this particular base ...
https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/10090807/anne-sacoolas-jonathan-spy-america-crash-immunity/
dalton99a
(81,512 posts)struggle4progress
(118,285 posts)Patrick Wintour Diplomatic editor
Tue 8 Oct 2019 10.40 EDT
... Mark Stephens said Jonathan Sacoolas, the husband of Anne Sacoolas, was not on the official diplomatic list, meaning he and his dependants may not be allowed the same level of protection from prosecution by claiming diplomatic immunity.
Stephens said the Foreign Office had confirmed this to him. The FCO was not immediately able to comment.
Stephens said Jonathan Sacoolas was not on the London diplomatic list, and as a result the level of immunity his wife could claim was far more limited.
The US has already transferred the entire family back to the US after her alleged role in the death of 19-year-old motorcyclist Harry Dunn in a fatal crash. Dunn died after a collision with a Volvo XC90, allegedly driven by Anne Sacoolas, near RAF Croughton in Northamptonshire on 27 August. It is alleged the Volvo driver went 400 yards down the wrong side of the road after pulling out of the airbase ...
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/oct/08/dominic-raab-urges-us-to-reconsider-anne-sacoolas-immunity
struggle4progress
(118,285 posts)By Post Editorial Board
October 7, 2019 | 7:36pm
... She is covered: A 1994 US-UK agreement specifically grants diplomatic immunity to Americans stationed, as the Sacoolases were, at the Croughton air base. The question is whether she should stand on her privilege and whether the Trump administration should waive immunity in this instance.
Immunity is supposed to protect diplomats from harassment by host governments, not grant them impunity to flout local laws. Here in the city, UN diplomats ability to run up fortunes in parking and traffic fines is a longstanding irritant. Even drunk drivers escape justice.
And homicide, even accidental, of an innocent is another matter. Dunns parents are begging Sacoolas to return so they can find closure, and London is asking Washington to waive immunity in this case ...
https://nypost.com/2019/10/07/the-us-should-waive-immunity-for-anne-sacoolas/
struggle4progress
(118,285 posts)Lee Brown October 8, 2019 | 10:01am | Updated
... Sacoolas whose husband, Jonathan Sacoolas, works for US intelligence was previously fined over her driving while living in Virginia, according to a report.
The mother of three was charged with failure to pay full time and attention in Fairfax in 2006, according to the Times of London.
She did not dispute the charge and paid the penalty currently set at $97 in full to avoid going to court, the paper said, citing court documents ...
https://nypost.com/2019/10/08/us-diplomats-wife-anne-sacoolas-was-fined-for-her-driving-before-uk-crash/
BlueMTexpat
(15,369 posts)for all your helpful links!