UNITED KINGDOM: END PROSECUTION OF PEACEFUL PROTESTORS

Dear Directors of Public Prosecutions for England and Wales, Northern Ireland, and Lord Advocate,

I am deeply concerned about the arrests and potential prosecutions of over 700 individuals peacefully protesting the UK government’s recent proscription of ‘Palestine Action’. The majority of these arrests have followed protests organized by Defend Our Juries (DOJ), a grassroots campaigning group, where people have held placards with the slogan, “I oppose genocide, I support Palestine Action”. 522 of the over 700 arrests were carried out on August 9 alone, when DOJ held a civil disobedience protest in London, in front of Parliament.

Numerous human rights groups, including Amnesty International, have documented and exposed extensively Israel’s continuing genocide against Palestinians in the Occupied Gaza Strip.

Under international human rights law, to which the UK is bound, any restriction on the rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly must be lawful, necessary, and proportionate to achieving a legitimate aim. Criminalizing speech in this context is only permitted when it incites violence or advocates hatred or discrimination. Expressing support for Palestine Action does not meet this threshold. The European Court of Human Rights’ case law confirms that such expressions remain protected speech unless they directly and expressly incite violence.

I urge you to uphold UK’s human rights commitments and drop the charges and not pursue prosecutions against all those who participated in peaceful protests in support of ‘Palestine Action’.

Yours sincerely,

[YOUR NAME]