Reporter Sarah Wilkinson was arrested by the British government for opposition to the Gaza genocide on August 29, 2024. (Photo by social media)
London, March 3 (RHC)-- A group of UN rapporteurs have delivered a forceful letter of protest to London condemning its abuse of counter-terrorism legislation to arrest and harass a growing number of activists and dissident journalists.
According to The Grayzone, in December 2024, a quartet of UN rapporteurs focused on “peaceful assembly and association” and the “right to privacy” delivered a strongly-worded letter to the British government.
They expressed grave concerns about the potential “misapplication of counter-terrorism laws” to arrest, detain, interrogate and surveil dissident activists and journalists. They demanded clarity on a number of serious issues. The British government had 60 days to answer but remained silent.
As the British government refused to provide any answer to these accusations, the UN rapporteurs’ correspondence with London was made public on March 1.
The correspondence reveals that the rapporteurs were especially disturbed by articles of the 2000 Terrorism Act and the 2019 Counter-Terrorism and Border Security Act, which covers “hostile” state threats, “being used to examine and obtain data from activists and journalists.”
The UN rapporteurs argued that the British counter-terrorism legislation, especially the 2000 Terrorism Act, are “vague and broad” and often results in mass-persecution.
“Counter-terrorism legislation have been used on multiple occasions to arrest, detain, and examine activists, and journalists, particularly at the UK border.”
The UN has called on the British authorities to undertake “interim measures” in order to prevent any recurrence of potential human rights breaches under counter-terrorism legislation.
According to the UN rapporteurs, “no one shall be subjected to arbitrary or unlawful interference with [their] privacy, family, home or correspondence or to unlawful attacks on [their] honour and reputation.”
However, the British government continued to escalate its war on human rights activists and dissident journalists.
Since the UN issued its letter of protest, a significant number of British activists and journalists have been arrested, prosecuted, and raided, including Asa Winstanley, Tony Greenstein, Sarah Wilkinson, Palestine Action co-founder Richard Bernard, and academic David Miller, the co-host of Press TV’s weekly Palestine Declassified show.
New British laws further criminalize dissent, legitimate freedom of expression, and peaceful assembly and association.
