AZ -v- Secretary of State for the Home Department (anonymity order)
Case number: SN/04/2024
In the Special Immigration Appeals Commission
7 October 2025
Before:
Mr Justice Bourne
Between:
AZ
-v-
Secretary of State for the Home Department
Anonymity order
UPON the Commission granting the Applicant anonymity and a restriction on publication of anything that might directly or indirectly identify him as the Applicant in these proceedings by order dated 12 September 2024
AND UPON judgment being handed down on 7 October 2025
AND UPON the Appellant confirming that he seeks the continuation of the anonymity and reporting restrictions pursuant to paragraph 4 of the Commission’s order of 12 September 2024
AND UPON the Applicant undertaking to keep the Commission and the Secretary of State informed of any matter which may affect the continued need for this order:
IT IS ORDERED THAT:
- The Applicant be granted anonymity indefinitely in relation to these proceedings in the Commission and will be continue to be known in these proceedings as AZ, subject to paragraph 3 below.
- Nothing may be published which, directly, or indirectly, identifies him as an applicant in these proceedings before the Commission.
- There be liberty to apply on 48 hours’ written notice to the Commission, to the Applicant, to the Secretary of State and to the Legal Representatives (as defined in the Practice Note).
REASONS
- AZ was refused naturalisation on 17 July 2024 on the grounds that he did not meet the good character requirement because of alleged involvement with the PKK. AZ applied to review this decision. AZ lives in London, and has close family members who live in Turkey.
- AZ’s case in support of this application is that:
a) He is identified in the OPEN judgment as being accused of involvement with the PKK. Publicly identifying him with a proscribed organisation which is known to be a risk basis for persecution or serious harm places him and his family at risk of adverse attention as a result.
b) The OPEN judgment sets out details of his asylum claim including the fact that he was a PKK member as a child, that he suffered “physical and sexual abuse”, that he had been prosecuted in Turkey and benefited from the remorse laws, that he had been stabbed, that he had been tortured in state custody, that he had been pressurised to become an informant and that he had escaped to the UK where he claimed asylum on arrival.
c) The OPEN judgment also refers to sensitive medical information, in particular a diagnosis of PTSD.
d) He is considering whether to appeal onwards.
e) Public identification of AZ risks breaching his Article 8 rights, and risks his family being harmed in Turkey and risks his being harmed in the UK.
f) there is a real risk of serious harm to AZ from members of the Turkish community in the UK.
- On the information presently available, it appears that the application identifies real risks which justify the encroachment into the principle of open justice which this order represents, and its interference with the Article 10 rights of the media and the public. In the event of any application to vary or set aside this Order these questions will be considered afresh.
MR JUSTICE BOURNE
Dated this 7th day of October 2024