DaysofPal—The UK-based activist group Palestine Action has failed in its bid to overturn a government decision banning the organization, as the High Court in London dismissed its appeal to suspend the order.
A High Court judge denied the group’s request to block the UK government’s decision to designate Palestine Action as a banned organization under anti-terror laws. The ban officially took effect at midnight on Friday, following parliamentary approval the previous day. Despite a legal challenge aimed at halting the ban, the court upheld the government’s order.
Palestine Action now plans to pursue a full legal appeal within the next two weeks. Meanwhile, protesters and human rights activists gathered outside the High Court to voice opposition to the ban.
The UK government announced last week its intention to proscribe Palestine Action under anti-terrorism legislation. The move came just days after members of the group sprayed paint on two aircraft at a Royal Air Force base, causing damage estimated at £7 million ($9.55 million).
Huda Ammori, the group’s co-founder, had appealed to the High Court to temporarily prevent the government from labeling Palestine Action a terrorist organization ahead of a potential judicial review. Several organizations, including Amnesty International, supported the request to suspend the ban.
However, in rejecting the appeal, Justice Martin Chamberlain noted that the decision to consider banning the group had already been made in March—before the recent RAF base incident.
Four Palestine Action activists were previously remanded into custody after being charged with “conspiring to enter a prohibited site with intent to harm the UK’s safety or interests and conspiracy to cause criminal damage.”
The group denounced the government’s decision as an assault on free speech, warning that the ban criminalizes membership and could result in a prison sentence of up to 14 years.
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