Ministry of Defence
- Date 30 March 2023
- Sector Central government
- Decision(s) FOI 26: Not upheld, FOI 27: Not upheld
The complainant submitted a request to the Ministry of Defence (MOD) seeking information about a particular Reaper drone strike attack on an individual described as a "known terrorist" in Syria in October 2021. The MOD provided a small amount of information falling within the scope of the request but explained that the remaining information was exempt from disclosure on the basis of sections 24(1) (national security), 26(1)b) (defence), 27(1)(a) (international relations) and 42(1) (legal professional privilege) of FOIA. The Commissioner’s decision is that the withheld information is exempt from disclosure on the basis of sections 26(1)(b) and 27(1)(a) of FOIA. First-tier tribunal (General Regulatory chamber) information rights appeal EA/2023/0240 under appeal.