A high-profile criminal defense lawyer, Mohammed Tasnime Akunjee, has been fined £6,500 ($8,600) by a disciplinary tribunal for making misleading statements about Mishcon de Reya LLP during a broadcast on an Iranian state-owned documentary channel.

The Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal found that Akunjee claimed the prominent law firm was guilty of criminal money laundering, a statement described in the tribunal's judgment as "clearly a garbled answer."

The claim was made during a program on Press TV, a channel owned by Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting, in September 2022. Akunjee’s remarks referred to a record fine Mishcon de Reya received in January 2022 for breaching anti-money laundering regulations.

The tribunal acknowledged that Akunjee’s statements were an honest mistake, made during an unscripted interview. He had also incorrectly stated that Mishcon de Reya represented Chile’s former president, Augusto Pinochet, during Spain’s failed attempt to extradite him in 1999 for human rights violations. Akunjee admitted his error, apologized, and accepted that his remarks were inaccurate and without basis, according to the tribunal.

“Akunjee misspoke and made mistakes in circumstances where he had turned up in good faith on a program,” the tribunal noted, adding that the lawyer drew from his general knowledge when responding on the spot.

Misleading Comments and Program Context

Akunjee’s appearance on the program, titled “Mishcon de Reya — Zionist Law Firm,” was part of a series called “Palestine Declassified,” aired on an Iranian network. Akunjee claimed he had not been informed of the program’s title and did not anticipate the nature of its content. However, the tribunal found that the final broadcast contained harmful stereotypes, though none of these remarks were attributed to Akunjee.

While Akunjee did not make any offensive comments himself, the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) argued that his misleading statements undermined public trust in the legal profession. The SRA accused Akunjee of failing to act with integrity, though they did not claim his conduct had any harmful intent.

The tribunal deemed Akunjee’s conduct unplanned and spontaneous, which resulted in low culpability. Akunjee had also written to the broadcaster, requesting that his contributions be edited out or the episode be removed altogether, in an attempt to correct the misinformation.

Despite this, the judgment noted that Akunjee "ought to have known" the potential impact of his unqualified statements, which harmed the reputation of both Mishcon de Reya and the legal profession.

Prior Run-Ins with the Regulator

The tribunal also considered Akunjee’s prior disciplinary issues. In January, he was rebuked by the regulator for posting three abusive tweets between November 2021 and April 2022. Although this rebuke was issued after the broadcast in question, the tribunal found it inappropriate to reprimand him further in this case.

Both Mishcon de Reya and representatives for Akunjee declined to comment on the tribunal’s decision.

Akunjee, who advises high-profile clients like the family of Shamima Begum, is represented by David Gottlieb of Thomas More Chambers. The SRA is represented by Louise Culleton of Capsticks Solicitors LLP.

The case is Solicitors Regulation Authority Ltd. v. Mohammed Tasnime Akunjee, case number 12542/2024, in the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal.