A Conservative peer has been revealed as the man who funded the escape of 103 female lawyers from Afghanistan after the Nato dbacle allowed the Taliban to sweep back into power in 2021. Lord Hintze has been publicly praised by former army officer and senior minister Tom Tugendhat for his efforts.
The billionaire philanthropist who became a peer in November, paid for the flights out of Afghanistan for 500 people organised by human rights lawyer and Labour peer Baroness Kennedy.
Mr Tugendhat tweeted: “Many people did so much to save Afghans fleeing for their lives. A few did more than most. New UK peer Lord Hintze paid for 500 flights to rescue people on ‘Taliban kill list'”
The minister was not the only one to praise the peer.
When he recently gave his maiden speech in the House of Lords crossbencher Lord Alton also paid tribute to him.
He said: “I’m especially pleased to be speaking in the same debate as Lord Hintze — he’s a long-standing and good friend.
“Baroness Kennedy of The Shaws has a commitment away from the House today, but she would want me to recall the remarkable response by Lord Hintze when she was desperately trying to evacuate women judges from Afghanistan.
“Flights had to be arranged at great expense and Lord Hintze did not hesitate in a Schindler’s List moment in finding the lion’s share, making a spontaneous, generous and very substantial contribution in enabling women with a Taliban price on their heads to get out of Afghanistan.”
The Australian British businessman is himself a former refugee after he and his family fled to Australia from China when he was a child because of Chairman Mao and the Communist regime.
Prior to that his family had escaped Russia after the Communists took power there in 1917.
Lord Alton added: “Five hundred people were evacuated, 103 were women lawyers and judges, all of whom with their children and husbands were on the Taliban kill list.
“I’ve met some of those women judges — and know that Lord Hintze’s intervention and that of the author JK Rowling undoubtedly saved many lives.
“His voice is one that deserves to be listened to with respect and admiration in this House.”
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