Three-day judicial review of Palestine Action proscription decision concludes today 

Thousands have been arrested for peacefully protesting since the ban came into effect 

Amnesty International UK and Liberty are intervening in the case 

As the three-day judicial review of the UK government’s decision to proscribe Palestine Action draws to a close, Kerry Moscogiuri, Amnesty International UK’s Director of Campaigns and Communications, said:  

“Amnesty International has been clear that Palestine Action should never have been proscribed. 

“The Government’s ban is a disproportionate misuse of the UK’s terrorism powers and breaches articles 10 & 11 of the European Convention on Human Rights – which protect freedom of expression and freedom of assembly and association. 

“We have seen the chilling consequences of this decision across the country – with thousands of arrests in recent months. These mass arrests, and the silencing that organisations and individuals have felt, is a clear and frightening example of how the UK is misusing overly-broad terrorism laws to suppress free speech. 

“Terrorism powers have never been used against what was previously direct-action protest and if this precedent is allowed to stand, it opens up a bleak future for protest rights in the UK.”