Rights groups urge suspension of Palestine Action prosecutions

Campaigners press the attorney general to pause prosecutions until the judicial review of the proscription is heard.

Rights groups urge suspension of Palestine Action prosecutions

Rights groups including Greenpeace UK, Friends of the Earth, Global Witness, Human Rights Watch and the Quakers have written to the attorney general, Richard Hermer KC, urging a pause on prosecutions linked to Palestine Action until a judicial review of the proscription is heard in November. They say continuing with charges before the ruling could raise significant legal and moral questions, and note that the attorney general decides how cases proceed under the Terrorism Act rather than the Crown Prosecution Service.

Last weekend 522 people were arrested under section 13 of the Terrorism Act at Parliament Square for carrying placards that stated I oppose genocide, I support Palestine Action. The detentions pushed the total arrested under the act in relation to the group to more than 700 since it was proscribed last month. Separately, Liberal Democrats have written to Jonathan Hall KC asking him to urgently review the use of the Terrorism Act to arrest peaceful protesters in this context.

Taken together, the letters spotlight a broader debate about where security ends and free expression begins. By pressing the attorney general to delay, rights groups argue that rushed prosecutions risk legal overreach and a chilling effect on dissent.

The issue could redefine how Britain uses anti-terrorism powers in protests. If the judicial review curtails the proscription, prosecutions may be paused or dismissed; if not, the clash between public order and civil liberties could intensify.

Highlights

The outcome will reveal how far the state will shield itself with broad powers while protecting protest rights.