London, October 18 (RHC)-- British pro-Palestine journalist and associate editor of The Electronic Intifada independent and online Electronic Intifada news publication
Britain's so-called counterterrorism police have raided the home of Asa Winstanley, a pro-Palestine investigative journalist and associate editor of the online publication Electronic Intifada, confiscating several of his electronic devices.
Nearly 10 police officers raided Asa Winstanley’s residence in north London before 6 a.m. local time on Thursday and served the journalist with warrants and other official papers authorizing them to execute a search of his home and vehicle.
A letter addressed to Winstanley from the “Counter Terrorism Command” of the Metropolitan Police Service read that authorities were aware of Winstanley’s profession as a journalist, but that “notwithstanding, police are investigating possible offenses” under sections 1 and 2 of the so-called Terrorism Act (2006), which deal with the purported offense of “encouragement of terrorism.”
An officer carrying out the raid informed The Electronic Intifada’s associate editor that the investigation was connected with his posts on social media platforms.
Although his devices were seized, Winstanley was not arrested and has not been charged with any offense.
Winstanley, who has more than 100,000 followers on X, formerly known as Twitter, frequently shares articles, other peoples’ opinions and his own comments about Israeli atrocities against Palestinians, the British government’s support for such brutalities, and the Palestinians' resistance against the Israeli occupation, apartheid and genocide.
Last December, Winstanley reported for The Electronic Intifada on how British counterterrorism police arrested prominent activists Mick Napier and Tony Greenstein for declaring they support the Palestinian right to resist Israel.
As part of his bail conditions, Greenstein was ordered “not to post on X in regards to the ongoing conflict in Gaza.”
In mid-August, independent British journalist Richard Medhurst, who is critical of Israel’s genocidal war on the Gaza Strip, was also arrested on arrival at London’s Heathrow Airport under Section 12 of the so-called Terrorism Act.
He had his phone and recording devices that he used for his journalism seized. Later that month, British police raided the home of Palestine solidarity activist Sarah Wilkinson in relation to content she posted online.
According to University of Edinburgh law professor Andrew Cornford, the vaguely worded provisions relating to the purported encouragement of terrorism “curtails a range of freedoms,” including “the freedoms to discuss controversial topics openly, and to share moral, political and religious opinions.”
