A BRANCH of the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) may urge its executive and the International Federation of Journalists to express their concern about the eight-month sentence handed down to former diplomat and pro-independence campaigner Craig Murray.

The former UK ambassador to Uzbekistan was jailed over his blog reports from the Alex Salmond trial, which judges ruled could have led to the jigsaw identification of four of the complainers.

Now, a motion being put to the NUJ’s London Freelance Branch from former editor of The Journalist, Tim Gopsill, expresses “deep concern” at Murray’s imprisonment.

READ MORE: Kenny MacAskill raises Craig Murray case with UK Attorney General

“His conviction for the ill-defined offences of ‘jigsaw’ identification risks even more of the work of our criminal justice system going unreported,” it reads.

“On his blog Craig Murray reported the trial last year of Alex Salmond, the former leader of the Scottish National Party, who was acquitted of all charges of sexual assault against nine women.

“Craig Murray is a supporter of Alex Salmond. He maintains that he was careful not to identify the women who brought the complaints, and he did not do so, yet he was jailed for contempt of court on an accusation of ‘jigsaw identification’ – publishing information that could be combined with that published elsewhere to form an identification.

“London Freelance Branch declares that it is essential that people bringing complaints over sexual assaults must preserve their anonymity.”

The motion points out that Reporters Without Borders claimed Murray is the first person in the world to be jailed over jigsaw identification, and his sentence the longest imposed on any journalist in the UK in living memory.

It adds: “LFB urges the national executive and the general secretary to publicise the union’s concern about the sentence and to urge the IFJ to do the same.

“Further the union should campaign for clearer reporting guidelines when cases of this kind are heard.”

The development came as award-winning journalist and filmmaker Laurie Flynn sought guidance on Murray’s application to join the NUJ.

​READ MORE: Reader's plea to Justice Secretary to free Craig Murray from prison over ill health

Such applications are normally completed online, but Murray was unable to do that. The form was printed out and completed by him in Edinburgh’s Saughton prison, before being brought out by the visitor who took it to him in jail and given to Flynn.

He said he had an electronic copy of the form, which he has submitted to the NUJ’s membership department to process.

Flynn and Hugh Kerr, a former MEP, both members of the union’s Edinburgh freelance branch, have proposed and seconded Murray’s membership.

Flynn added: “I would also like to point out that Mr Murray is not seeking to join the union with a view to the union incurring any legal costs.”