English Home Secretary Against Palestine Action Group

TEHRAN (Defapress) - The English Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper, has once again defended the government's decision to designate Palestine Action as a terrorist organization. The decision, which will come into effect from July 5, 2025, criminalizes membership or support for the group and carries a prison sentence of up to 14 years.

Since the ban, more than 700 people have been arrested on charges of supporting the group. More than 500 people were arrested at a demonstration in London last week alone. The Metropolitan Police said more cases are on the way and that they will investigate and prosecute more every week.

In Norwich, 13 people were arrested on charges of supporting the group at a protest. The trial of some of the defendants, on charges including property damage, assault, and public order offences, is due to begin in November 2025. Eighteen have denied the charges.

However, the Palestine Action group has called the ban unlawful and believes it is restricting freedom of expression and the right to protest. They are seeking to challenge the English High Court decision in November 2025, after obtaining permission.

Human rights groups such as Amnesty International have criticised the ban and the widespread arrests. Sacha Deshmukh, the head of Amnesty International, has said the response to the recent protests has been “overblown” and that the UK's counter-terrorism laws are too broad and vague to be a barrier to freedom of expression.