High Court judges have made a landmark ruling.
Palestine Action has won a High Court challenge over the ban of the organisation as a terror group (Image: EXPRESS)
Palestine Action’s co-founder Huda Ammori has won a High Court challenge over the ban of the organisation as a terror group on two grounds, judges have said. Palestine Action remains banned as a terror group to allow further arguments and the Government time to consider an appeal, judge Dame Victoria Sharp has said.
From July 5 last year, being a member of – or showing support for – the group became an offence punishable by up to 14 years in prison. The Government will appeal against the High Court’s decision that the ban on Palestine Action is unlawful, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has said. In a summary of the High Court’s decision, Dame Sharp said: “The court considered that the proscription of Palestine Action was disproportionate.
“A very small number of Palestine Action’s activities amounted to acts of terrorism within the definition of section 1 of the 2000 Act.
“For these, and for Palestine Action’s other criminal activities, the general criminal law remains available.
“The nature and scale of Palestine Action’s activities falling within the definition of terrorism had not yet reached the level, scale and persistence to warrant proscription.”
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said she was “disappointed by the Court’s decision”.
She said: “The Court has acknowledged that Palestine Action has carried out acts of terrorism, celebrated those who have taken part in those acts and promoted the use of violence.
“It has also concluded that Palestine Action is not an ordinary protest or civil disobedience group, and that its actions are not consistent with democratic values and the rule of law.
“For those reasons, I am disappointed by the Court’s decision and disagree with the notion that banning this terrorist organisation is disproportionate.
“The proscription of Palestine Action followed a rigorous and evidence-based decision-making process, endorsed by Parliament. The proscription does not prevent peaceful protest in support of the Palestinian cause, another point on which the Court agrees.
“As a former Lord Chancellor, I have the deepest respect for our judiciary. Home Secretaries must however retain the ability to take action to protect our national security and keep the public safe. I intend to fight this judgment in the Court of Appeal.”
Around 100 people gathered outside the High Court in central London, cheering and chanting “Free Palestine” after judges ruled that the Home Office’s decision to ban Palestine Action under terrorism laws was unlawful.
Waving Palestinian flags, many of the activists are holding placards in support; one reads: “I oppose genocide, I support Palestine Action.”
After winning a High Court challenge over the ban of the organisation, Palestine Action co-founder Huda Ammori said: “We won”.
Posting on X, she said: “BREAKING: WE WON.
“The High Court ruled the Palestine Action ban is unlawful as it is disproportionate to free speech and the Home Secretary breached her own policy.
“The court ordered the ban be quashed. Details of lifting the ban will be decided and completed at a later date.”
In a statement, Huda Ammori, said: “This is a monumental victory both for our fundamental freedoms here in Britain and in the struggle for freedom for the Palestinian people, striking down a decision that will forever be remembered as one of the most extreme attacks on free speech in recent British history.
“Palestine Action is the first civil disobedience organisation that does not advocate for violence to be proscribed by the British Government as a ‘terrorist’ group, in a Trumpian abuse of power which would have seen this Labour Government proscribe the Suffragettes.
“This ban was unlawful, resulting in the unlawful arrest of nearly 3,000 people – among them priests, vicars, former magistrates and retired doctors – under terrorism laws for simply sitting in silence while holding signs reading: ‘I oppose genocide – I support Palestine Action’.
“It would be profoundly unjust for the Government to try to delay or stop the High Court’s proposed order quashing this ban while the futures of these thousands of people hang in the balance, many of whom are elderly or disabled and facing up to 14 years’ imprisonment for this entirely peaceful protest.”
THIS IS A BREAKING STORY. MORE TO FOLLOW…
