PhotoBlog - leveson-inquiry

May

2012

7:50am, EDT

Heckler calls Tony Blair 'a war criminal' as former British PM appears at phone-hacking inquiry

A protester (in white shirt) is tackled by security staff as he calls former British Prime Minister Tony Blair (seated at left) a "war criminal" during Blair's testimony to the Leveson Inquiry in London, England on May 28, 2012. Lord Leveson is seen standing at top right.

Stefan Wermuth / Reuters

Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair arrives to give evidence before the Leveson Inquiry on May 28, 2012.

By Alastair Jamieson, msnbc.com and NBC News — Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair was accused of being "a war criminal" by a heckler who burst into a court room during his testimony at a UK inquiry into media ethics Monday.

The protester shouted for Blair to be arrested - shortly before he was himself bundled away by security staff.

Blair, who served as prime minister between 1997 and 2007, was the latest senior politican to appear at the investigation set up last year in the wake of a phone-hacking scandal when it emerged that reporters at the Rupert Murdoch-owned News of the World tabloid had routinely hacked into the phones of public figures. Read the full story.

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Tom Stoddart / Getty Images Contributor, file

Tony Blair is seen during the 1997 General Election campaign, when Rupert Murdoch's influential newspaper The Sun switched allegiances to back Blair's Labour party.

Peter MacDiarmid / Getty Images

Anti-war protesters gather outside The Royal Courts of Justice as former Prime Minister Tony Blair started to give evidence to the Leveson Inquiry on May 28, 2012 in London, England.

Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair testified this morning about his close ties to media mogul Rupert Murdoch, who's News of the World tabloid is in the middle of a phone-hacking scandal. NBC's Stephanie Gosk reports.

All eyes on court as Murdoch confidante Rebekah Brooks lays bare ties to UK elite

Reuters reports — British Prime Minister David Cameron was among top politicians who sent sympathetic messages to Rebekah Brooks when she was forced to resign as chief executive of Rupert Murdoch's U.K. newspaper group over phone-hacking, she told an inquiry on Friday.

Tabloid editor got free horse from UK police force

Brooks is a former editor of the News of the World, which Murdoch shut last July when it emerged its journalists had hacked into the voicemail of public figures and a murdered schoolgirl. She was appearing at a judicial inquiry into press ethics to answer questions about her friendships with British politicians.

VIDEO: Brooks confirms Cameron ties amid scandal

The Leveson Inquiry's lead lawyer, Robert Jay, cut straight to the chase as Brooks began her day-long testimony, pressing her for names of politicians who had expressed their sympathy when she was caught up in the hacking storm in July 2011. At first Brooks sought to evade the question, but eventually said:

"I received some indirect messages from Number 10, Number 11, the Home Office, the Foreign Office." Numbers 10 and 11 Downing Street are the prime minister's and finance minister's offices respectively. Read the full story.

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UK PM David Cameron faces grilling over links to Murdoch empire

Heckler calls Tony Blair 'a war criminal' as former British PM appears at phone-hacking inquiry

All eyes on court as Murdoch confidante Rebekah Brooks lays bare ties to UK elite