By Dominic Ponsford
MP George Galloway again published pictures on the internet of News of the World investigations editor Mazher Mahmood after time ran out on an injunction from the paper preventing him from doing so.
The NoW has urged media organisations not to publish the pictures of Mahmood because they say he has been subjected to death threats after playing a role in the jailing of 130 criminals.
But this warning has been ignored by several bloggers who have published the pictures regardless.
The Guardian has also ignored the News of the World’s pleas to protect Mahmood’s safety by publishing his picture on its website.
It is the third time that Guardian Newspapers has defied the NoW by publishing images of Mahmood. In June 2003, The Guardian published Mahmood’s picture on its front page and April, 2001, the Observer published a picture of him as part of its coverage his Sophie Wessex tapes exclusive.
MP George Galloway circulated the pictures of Mahmood to the press and posted them on the internet on Tuesday afternoon only to be hit with an injunction by the News of the World.
Galloway got the injunction lifted yesterday but the judge kept an order in place banning publication of the Mahmood pictures until 4pm today to allow the News of the World to lodge an appeal. The NoW opted not to appeal.
Galloway has targeted Mahmood after the reporter went undercover to see if the MP would take bribes.
And he has been joined in his criticism of Mahmood by journalism professor Roy Greenslade who claims that he uses agent provocateurs.
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