UK court says proscribing Palestine Action as ‘terrorist’ group was lawful
Al Jazeera • • world
Key Points:
- Britain’s Court of Appeal ruled that the government’s designation of Palestine Action as a terrorist organization under the Terrorism Act 2000 was lawful, overturning a previous High Court decision that had deemed the ban unlawful and disproportionate.
- Chief Justice Sue Carr stated that the proscription struck a fair balance, emphasizing that Palestine Action promoted unlawful violence and posed significant risks to third parties and lawful businesses.
- Thousands of arrests linked to support for Palestine Action have occurred since the ban, with the government arguing the impact on freedom of expression was overstated.
- Palestine Action co-founder Huda Ammori condemned the ruling, vowing to challenge the proscription in the Supreme Court and European Court of Human Rights as a severe restriction on free speech and protest rights.
- Critics, including the Defend Our Juries campaign, accused the courts of suppressing opposition to government policies and vowed to continue protesting against what they view as intimidation tactics.
