Palestinian supporters in the UK are victims of anti-terrorism laws
Association for Defending Victims of Terrorism - a human rights organization in the UK, criticizing the behavior of the country's police, warned against the misuse of anti-terrorism laws to suppress Palestinian supporters.
According to IRNA, the Islamic Human Rights Commission (IHRC) sent a letter to Jonathan Hall, the independent inspector of terrorism laws in the UK, calling for an immediate investigation into the arrest and harsh treatment of a group of pro-Palestinian activists known as the “Filton 10”.
The group was arrested last August for their involvement in the destruction of military equipment belonging to the Israeli company Elbit Systems, which was allegedly used in attacks on Gaza. According to the report, the police initially arrested the activists under anti-terrorism laws, but their charges were later changed to destruction of property and unauthorized entry.
However, these individuals continue to be held under strict conditions similar to terrorist prisoners. Five of these individuals are said to be under a visitation order and are only allowed one visit out of every six allowed to other prisoners.
In this letter, Masoud Shajara, the head of the Islamic Commission for Human Rights, emphasized that the treatment of the British police with these activists indicates a deliberate attempt to suppress the protests and support the policies of the Israeli regime. In part of his letter, he wrote: “These individuals were arrested for protesting the genocide in Gaza, and the police’s treatment of them is clearly political.”
The head of the Islamic Commission for Human Rights noted: “The use of anti-terrorism laws in these cases indicates an abuse of power and an attempt to silence the voices of critics.”
The letter also states that the strict treatment of protesters against the policies of the Israeli regime is a clear message of the British government’s support for this regime.
He has asked Jonathan Hall to conduct an independent investigation into the implementation of anti-terrorism laws in this case and similar cases.
Elbit Systems, the target of these activists’ protests, is one of the largest suppliers of military equipment to the Israeli army. The company supplies drones and combat equipment that are used in attacks against Palestinians in Gaza.
Elbit Systems has previously been the target of protests in European countries, and its role in supplying military equipment to the Israeli army has been repeatedly condemned by human rights organizations.
Palestinian supporters in the UK have repeatedly called for a boycott of the company, emphasizing that the equipment produced by Elbit Systems directly contributes to the killing of Palestinian civilians, but the British government, as one of the main supporters of the Zionist regime, has turned a blind eye to the company’s activities and focused on suppressing Palestinian supporters.
According to reports, the police have opposed the upcoming demonstration by Palestinian supporters in London, claiming that the march may cause disruption to a synagogue near the gathering site. Organizers also say that the route of the march was coordinated with the police two months ago, and that the security agency is trying to prevent it from taking place by canceling the agreements made.
Analysts warn that the suppression of political protests could endanger civil liberties in the UK. They believe that continuing this trend could lead to increased public distrust of security institutions and the weakening of the right to protest and freedom of expression.
The Islamic Human Rights Commission has stressed that if this trend is not stopped, Britain risks becoming a repressive society in which any criticism of the policies of foreign governments is met with harsh treatment.
