LONDON (UK) – A group of opposition parliamentarians has filed a lawsuit against Prime Minister Boris Johnson over his alleged failure to protect the public’s right to free and fair elections following allegations of Russian interference.
According to a parliamentary report brought out in July, the government failed to ascertain whether or not Russia interfered in the 2016 referendum regarding EU membership and recommended a further probe by the intelligence services.
The government rejected the recommendation and said it was not complacent over the “enduring and significant threat” posed by Moscow, which has denied the allegation.
By launching the lawsuit on Thursday, they challenged the PM’s response and sought a judicial review. The lawmakers claimed that the government has flouted the right to free elections as per the European Convention on Human Rights.
“The sovereignty and security of our country, alongside the integrity of our democracy, is at stake, and this government’s willfully turning a blind eye cannot be allowed to pass unchallenged,” said Caroline Lucas, one of six parliamentarians from the upper and lower chambers who are named in the claim.
Leigh Day, the legal firm which represents the group, said they were seeking the intervention of the court to ensure that the government complied with its “legal duty to independently investigate credible allegations of Russian interference and to adequately protect future elections from foreign interference.”
