The UK government’s ban on Palestine Action is at odds with international law, according to the UN human rights chief.
Volker Turk, the UN high commissioner for human rights, said on Friday that the UK’s decision to proscribe the campaign group as a terrorist organisation was “disproportionate and unnecessary” and called for the designation to be rescinded.
He said: “UK domestic counter-terrorism legislation defines terrorist acts broadly to include ‘serious damage to property’.
“But, according to international standards, terrorist acts should be confined to criminal acts intended to cause death or serious injury or to the taking of hostages, for purpose of intimidating a population or to compel a government to take a certain action or not.
“It misuses the gravity and impact of terrorism to expand it beyond those clear boundaries, to encompass further conduct that is already criminal under the law.”
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The UK government proscribed Palestine Action under anti-terror laws on 4 July, following an incident in which members broke into RAF Brize Norton and spray-painted two planes they said were “used for military operations in Gaza and across the Middle East”.
The new legislation has made membership of and support for Palestine Action a criminal offence punishable by up to 14 years in prison – the first time a direct action group has been proscribed in the UK as a terrorist group.
‘Mind-boggling’ arrest
UN experts, human rights groups, and leading figures have condemned the ban as draconian, warning that it will have adverse consequences for the freedom of expression and implications for the rule of law.
“The decision appears disproportionate and unnecessary,” said Turk.
“It limits the rights of many people involved with and supportive of Palestine Action who have not themselves engaged in any underlying criminal activity but rather exercised their rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association.”
Dozens arrested at London demonstration against proscription of Palestine Action
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He added that such “impermissible restriction” on those rights was “at odds with the UK’s obligations under international human rights law”.
“The decision also conflates protected expression and other conduct with acts of terrorism and so could readily lead to further chilling effect on the lawful exercise of these rights by many people,” he added.
Since the ban came into effect, at least 200 people have been arrested under the Terrorism Act 2000. Most arrests occurred during peaceful protests.
On Saturday, at least 55 people were arrested in London at a rally against the proscription of Palestine Action outside the UK parliament.
They held up placards reading “I oppose genocide. I support Palestine Action” before police began bundling attendees into vans.
Similar protests took place in Leeds, Edinburgh, Cornwall and other parts of the country, also leading to arrests.
At the Leeds protest, a man was arrested and held for six hours for holding up a cartoon from satirical magazine Private Eye addressing the proscription of Palestine Action.
Ian Hislop, editor of Private Eye, described the arrest as “mind-boggling”.
“I urge the UK Government to rescind its decision to proscribe Palestine Action and to halt investigations and further proceedings against protesters who have been arrested on the basis of this proscription,” said Turk.
“I also call on the UK Government to review and revise its counter-terrorism legislation, including its definition of terrorist acts, to bring it fully in line with international human rights norms and standards.”
