Craig Murray
Craig John Murray (born 17 October 1958) is a Scottish author, human rights campaigner, journalist, and former diplomat.
Craig Murray | |
|---|---|
| British Ambassador to Uzbekistan | |
| In office August 2002 – October 2004 | |
| Monarch | Elizabeth II |
| Prime Minister | Tony Blair |
| Preceded by | Christopher Ingham |
| Succeeded by | David Moran |
| Rector of the University of Dundee | |
| In office 2007–2010 | |
| Preceded by | Lorraine Kelly |
| Succeeded by | Brian Cox |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 17 October 1958 West Runton, Norfolk, England |
| Nationality | Scottish |
| Political party | Workers Party of Britain (Since 2024) |
| Other political affiliations | Liberal Democrats (until 2005, 2010–2011) Scottish National Party (2011–2016) Action for Independence (2021) Alba Party (2021-2024) |
| Spouses |
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| Children | 4 |
| Education | Paston School |
| Alma mater | University of Dundee |
| Occupation | |
| Website | www |
While he was the British ambassador to Uzbekistan (2002–2004), he exposed the violations of human rights in that country by the Karimov administration. This led to conflict with his superiors in the Foreign Office until finally he was removed from the post. Specifically, Murray lodged formal written complaints to his superiors stating that it was morally and legally wrong to obtain intelligence under torture and that intelligence received by the Secret Intelligence Service (and the US Central Intelligence Agency) from the Uzbek government was unreliable because it had been obtained through torture.
Subsequently he became a political activist, campaigning for human rights and for transparency in global politics as well as for the independence of Scotland. Between 2007 and 2010 he was the elected Rector of the University of Dundee.
His books include two memoirs, first about his time in Central Asia, Murder in Samarkand (2006), and then The Catholic Orangemen of Togo: and other Conflicts I Have Known (2009), about his early career years in West Africa; and a historical biography, Sikunder Burnes: Master of the Great Game (2016), about Alexander Burnes and the rivalry between the 19th century British and Russian Empires over influence in Asia.