A Sad Loss of a Dedicated Campaigner

We've just received this from the Jewish Chronicle: A campaign to force the BBC to release an internal report on…

By February 14, 2011

We’ve just received this from the Jewish Chronicle:

A campaign to force the BBC to release an internal report on its Middle East coverage is to continue despite the death of the man who launched it.

London solicitor Steven Sugar, who died of cancer aged 60 last month, first challenged the corporation to release the Balen report under the Freedom of Information Act six years ago.

Mr Sugar had fought several rounds in court, seeking the publication of the document.

But a Supreme Court hearing, which was due to begin last week, has now been postponed till November.

The HonestReporting team and I are deeply saddened to hear of Mr. Sugar’s death. Despite many setbacks, he had continued to fight the BBC’s stonewalling and legal obstacles to the very end with an unbelievable determination. While I never met him personally, having only exchanged e-mails with him on a number of occasions, I can well imagine that he must have fought his illness with the same determined attitude.

We hope that the Supreme Court hearing will grant Steven Sugar a posthumous victory later in the year and wish his friends and family a long life.

© Divuach Ne’eman R”A, 2025

Simon Plosker

Simon Plosker

With over two decades of experience in various non-governmental organizations in the UK and Israel, Simon Plosker returned to HonestReporting in October 2022 as Editorial Director having previously been part of the organization’s management team from 2005 to 2020.

Prior to his first spell at HonestReporting, Simon worked in Israel for NGO Monitor, BICOM, and served for a short period in the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit. He was Managing Editor of the Geneva-based NGO United Nations Watch for two years before moving back to the frontline defending Israel from media bias.

Simon has a BSoc.Sc in International Studies and Political Science from the University of Birmingham and an MSc in History of International Relations from the London School of Economics. He immigrated to Israel in 2001 from London.

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