Starmer’s Palestine Action Ban Could Be Breaking International Law, Says UN
The United Nations has said Sir Keir Starmer’s decision to proscribe Palestine Action could be a breach of international law as it was “disproportionate and unnecessary” to ban the group after it spray-painted an RAF aircraft red last month. The Telegraph has the story.
Volker Türk, the body’s human rights chief, accused the Labour Government of a “disproportionate and unnecessary” ban after the group spray-painted an RAF aircraft red last month.
He said banning a group that does not threaten death or serious injury “misuses the gravity and impact of terrorism” and that it could breach the right to freedom of expression for protesters.
Sir Keir’s decision to proscribe Palestine Action under the Terrorism Act makes it a criminal offence to be a member of the group, express support or wear clothing that would create “reasonable suspicion” that a person was a member.
Breaking the law carries a potential sentence of up to 14 years in prison.
More than 200 people have been arrested in connection with Palestine Action since the ban came into force on July 5th, mostly at protests against the Government’s policy on Palestine.
But not a single person has been charged with any terror offences, it is understood.
Police forces have arrested dozens of people over the past three weeks at protests across the country, many of whom were just holding signs saying “We support Palestine Action”. …
Mr Türk, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, said the definition of terrorist acts “should be confined to criminal acts intended to cause death or serious injury or to the taking of hostages”.
He said: “It misuses the gravity and impact of terrorism to expand it beyond those clear boundaries, to encompass further conduct that is already criminal under the law.”
“The decision appears disproportionate and unnecessary. It limits the rights of many people involved with and supportive of Palestine Action who have not themselves engaged in any underlying criminal activity but rather exercised their rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association,” he said.
“As such, it appears to constitute an impermissible restriction on those rights that is at odds with the UK’s obligations under international human rights law.”
Worth reading in full.
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Who’s running this feckin country?
Tell the UN to do one.
Someone every (toothless) international body expects to dance the chagos whenever being asked to. That’s part of the problem.
Exactly. Whenever Spineless Starmer “negotiates” with anyone, Britain loses out – and pays billions for the privilege.
UN. FO.
They’ve got something planned for 9th August in London. And see how they weaponize the term ‘democracy’ to mean being able to run around committing crimes and generally being a menace to society with impunity. They couldn’t give a rat’s arse about the so-called ‘Palestinians’; Following intensive lobbying by representatives of the Israeli government and the arms industry such as Lord Walney, dishonestly presented to the public as ‘independent advisers’, Palestine Action have been branded as a ‘terrorist organisation’, for trying to stop crimes against humanity and for exposing the British government’s complicity in genocide. Defend Our Juries and partner organisations are now calling on at least 500 individuals to sign up for action on August 9th 2025. This action would be the first of its kind in opposition to the proscribing of a direct action group. The action is conditional on reaching our target of at least 500 commitments. Yvette Cooper, the Home Secretary, introduced the ban after Palestine Action entered the RAF base at Brize Norton and spray painted two military planes red, shining a spotlight on the role of the British military in partnering Israel’s genocide against the Palestinian people. It is vital that our campaign succeeds –… Read more »
I don’t suppose these morons have realised that if we don’t get a grip of the gimmigrants problem their fantasy actions in supporting people half way across the world will come to be resolved in ways which they might find not particularly to their liking. If they really want to help these people why don’t they buy one way tickets to the Promised Land and do their protesting nearer the problem?
They will only need one way tickets because they won’t be coming back. 😀
Loathe as I am to say this, they’ve sort of got a point. Labelling their actions in this way (criminal, naive and performative as they were), does indeed risk diluting the term “terrorism”.
They are the test case, having been chosen as such because most of the general public will object to their stunts and there will be little general outrage at their classification as “terrorists”. This sets a dangerous precedent however, which will make it easier to include legitimate protestors and those who object to government overreach within the definition of “terrorists”.
They are (very) useful idiots.
International law is bollocks (not swearing, as proved by the Sex Pistols), but it makes me chuckle to see Starmer hoist by his own petard, as he is so fond of it, when it suits.
a breach of international law
There is no such thing as international law. There are only international treaties, in relation to which we must bear in mind Palmerston’s view that every international treaty contains an unwritten clause to the effect “until circumstances change”.
The reason our rulers love so-called “international law” is that they can use it as a means of taking law-making out of the hands of the voters and their representatives.
Spot on.
Oddly enough in this case I agree, the ban was in the immortal words of Talleyrand, not just wrong but a mistake.
Why dignify these dickheads with such a thing (unless it’s to pave the way for further bans on right wing protesters, bans which which WOULD lead to heavy fines and jail sentences)?
A serious government or an intelligent PM would simply have stated that whilst protest is of course legitimate, criminal damage will be punished with the full force of the law and further incursions on MoD territory would lead to consequences up to and including live fire from armed guards.
But we haven’t and he isn’t so it won’t.
The prosecco will be flowing in Islington this evening.
I agree
Correct in every word.
Volker Türk would seem to be guilty of disproportionate and vain blathering about things which aren’t his business.
United Nazis at it again?
I propose a new law. Anyone suggesting that Britain should comply with international law is immediately driven out of the country for ever.