UK Court to Decide on Terrorist Label for Palestine Action Group

Court of Appeal to Decide on Government’s Proscription of Palestine Action Group

The UK Court of Appeal is set to hear a case on Monday regarding the government’s decision to proscribe the Palestine Action activist group as a “terrorist” organization. The group was formally proscribed by the British government in July last year.

A court in London previously ruled that four activists convicted of criminal damage at an Israeli weapons facility would be sentenced based on their connection to terrorism. In February, the High Court found the ban on Palestine Action to be unlawful and disproportionate.

Palestine Action is a British protest group founded six years ago, which describes itself as committed to ending global participation in Israel’s genocidal and apartheid regime. The group uses “disruptive tactics” to target companies involved in the manufacture of weapons for Israel, such as Elbit Systems, Leonardo, Thales, and Teledyne.

The government initially appealed the High Court’s decision, with Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood stating her intention to fight the judgment in the Court of Appeal. The proscription remains in force pending the outcome of the appeal.

Four activists from Palestine Action were recently sentenced as “terrorists” for their involvement in a raid on an Elbit Systems facility in Bristol. Despite most being convicted only of criminal damage, the court linked their actions to terrorism, resulting in longer prison sentences.

Source: Al Jazeera