LONDON, 12 Nov. - (ANA) - Four UN Special Rapporteurs and an independent expert have today published their letter to the United Kingdom (UK)  government saying the proscription of Palestine Action is "not justified", "unnecessary" and violates human rights in a way that is more common in authoritarian states.

 

The letter was sent to the UK government on 12 September, but the damning assessment has been published for the first time today, less than two weeks before the judicial review starts at the Royal Courts of Justice (27–29 November). The two month delay in publication is the standard window to afford the government an opportunity to respond.

 

The UN special rapporteurs raise deep concerns over the proscription of Palestine Action; the mass arrests of individuals arrested under the Terrorism Act for allegedly supporting Palestine Action; and the unlawful arrests under the Terrorism Act of people who were not even showing support for the proscribed group.

 

They condemn the proscription as "unnecessary” and giving rise to “disproportionate restrictions” on the rights of freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association, the rights to take part in public affairs and to liberty.

 

The authors state that "mere property damage is not sufficient to constitute terrorism according to international standards" making the UK an international outlier that puts the UK more in line with authoritarian societies:

 

"In the work of UN experts in monitoring counter-terrorism laws globally, abuse of laws to proscribe organizations as terrorist that are not genuinely so has more commonly occurred in States that are authoritarian and lack legal and political cultures of respect for human rights, legality, due process and independent judicial safeguards, in order to target civil society organizations, human rights defenders, political dissidents and minorities. It is deeply concerning that such practices appear to have spread to a number of liberal democracies. Organizations must never be listed as terrorist for engaging in protected speech or legitimate activities in defence of human rights."

 

They also warned of the chilling effect of banning Palestine Action on other protest movements, including in other countries, which could have "counter-productive security impacts".

 

The letter also states that the ban is "not justified" as proscription cannot be based on the "isolated criminal acts of some members", and as the JTAC report which the Home Secretary relied on to proscribe Palestine Action pointed out, "the majority of direct action by PAG would not be classified as terrorism". The UN experts said that to proscribe Palestine Action based on this basis could amount to an "unnecessary and disproportionate interference in human rights under international law".

 

A Defend Our Juries spokesperson said:

 

"By weaponising the counter-terror regime against a domestic direct action group, the government has launched a severe attack on the rights and freedoms of the British public, in order to protect the Israeli weapons industry which is arming the Gaza genocide.

 

"Next week Defend Our Juries will commence the largest wave of our civil disobedience campaign against the proscription so far. More than 18 towns and cities will silently hold signs in opposition to the genocide and the ban, coinciding with the Judicial Review against the proscription.

 

"There are currently six Palestine Action prisoners on an open-ended hunger strike. Their demands include the de-proscription of the group and immediate bail. The prisoners face up to two years on remand, which far exceeds the pre-trial custody time limit of six months - an abuse of the law which has been made possible by weaponising the overly broad terrorism definition.It has never been more imperative for the government to immediately correct its huge political error in banning a domestic direct action group.”

 

Led by Ben Saul, the UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism, signatories also include Irene Khan, Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression; Gina Romero, Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association; George Katrougalos, Independent expert on the promotion of a democratic and equitable international order and Francesca Albanese, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territory since 1967.

 

Ben Saul is also an intervenor in Huda Ammori's judicial review against the decision to proscribe Palestine Action, which takes place on the 25–27 November at the Royal Courts Of Justice.    - (ANA) -

 

AB/ANA/12 November 2025 - - -