A United Nations human rights expert has formally declared the United Kingdom an “international outlier” for its controversial decision to proscribe the direct-action network Palestine Action as a terrorist organization. The accusation was presented during a significant judicial review at London’s High Court, marking a substantial challenge to the UK’s counter-terrorism policy.
Adam Straw KC, representing UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights and Counter-Terrorism Ben Saul, articulated the UN’s position that the British government’s ban constitutes a “fundamental breach of human rights.” The court heard that responsible nations typically maintain narrow definitions of terrorism that exclude protest groups, placing the UK outside emerging international legal consensus.
The UN intervention argued that defining terrorism to encompass serious property damage without violence against persons represents an unlawful overreach in international law. This perspective received endorsement from multiple UN special rapporteurs, including Francesca Albanese and Gina Romero, who warned that proscribing non-terrorist groups typically occurs in authoritarian regimes.
In a striking development, Irish literary sensation Sally Rooney submitted a witness statement detailing potential artistic repercussions. The novelist revealed that the ban could prevent her from receiving royalties and force the withdrawal of her books from UK sales due to her support for Palestine Action. Production company Element Pictures expressed concerns that paying adaptation royalties might constitute a criminal offense, while publisher Faber & Faber faces uncertainty regarding future payments.
The government, represented by James Eadie KC for the Home Office, defended the proscription by asserting Parliament’s sovereign authority to define terrorism. Eadie maintained that Palestine Action met the statutory threshold for proscription, emphasizing that UK law expressly includes serious property damage within its terrorism definition.
Since the ban’s implementation, authorities have arrested over 2,000 individuals for displaying signs opposing genocide and supporting Palestine Action, with at least 100 arrests specifically related to expressions of support for the proscribed organization.