“The West’s Israeli-sponsored creeping authoritarianism will not stop here – unless we stop it.”
British counterterrorism police have raided the home of the associate editor of The Electronic Intifada, Asa Winstanley, and seized several electronic devices.
“Approximately 10 officers arrived at Winstanley’s North London home before 6 am and served the journalist with warrants and other papers authorizing them to search his house and vehicle for devices and documents,” the news publication which focuses on Palestine said.
The website cited a letter addressed to Winstanley from the “Counter Terrorism Command” of the Metropolitan Police Service, which stated that police were “investigating possible offenses” under Sections 1 and 2 of the Terrorism Act (2006).
🚨 UK "counterterrorism" police raid home, seize devices of EI’s @AsaWinstanley https://t.co/8QWBHMJILM
— Electronic Intifada (@intifada) October 17, 2024
“These provisions set out the purported offense of “encouragement of terrorism,’” the Electronic Intifada said.
Social Media Posts
The letter also indicated that authorities were “aware” of his “profession” as a journalist, and an officer involved in the raid told Winstanley that the probe was connected with his social media posts.
Active on several social media platforms, Wistanley has more than 100,000 followers on Twitter/X, “where he frequently shares articles, other peoples’ opinions and his own comments on Israel’s crimes against the Palestinian people, British government support for these crimes, and the Palestinian resistance to Israeli occupation, apartheid and genocide,” the news site said.
Our full, year-long investigation: How Israel killed hundreds of its own people on 7 October https://t.co/uxgSnAoCh5
— Asa Winstanley (@AsaWinstanley) October 7, 2024
On the first anniversary of the October 7 resistance operation, the Electronic Intifada published a special report titled ‘How Israel killed hundreds of its own people on 7 October.”
Winstanley was not detained, said the news site, and has not been charged with any offense.
‘Protection of Sources’
In a statement on Friday, Winstanley said “I have dedicated my career to journalism and telling the truth but right now my priority is the protection of my sources. We are taking legal steps to ensure that happens.”
“Journalism is not a crime,” he added.
The UK’s assault (acting on behalf of an oppressive foreign regime) on the rights of journalists like @AsaWinstanley from @Intifada is a direct breach of its treaty obligations under Art. 10 of the ECHR & Art. 19 of the ICCPR, as well as of Art. 19 of the Universal Declaration of… https://t.co/RX30eDchIp
— Craig Mokhiber (@CraigMokhiber) October 18, 2024
Human rights lawyer, Craig Mokhiber, said on X that the UK’s action against the rights of journalists like Winstanley “is a direct breach of its treaty obligations under Art. 10 of the ECHR & Art. 19 of the ICCPR, as well as of Art. 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.”
He said citizens of the UK and “the broader West should speak up now, while they still can. The West’s Israeli-sponsored creeping authoritarianism will not stop here- unless we stop it.”
Winstanley is the latest target of British authorities under counter-terrorism legislation.
Richard Medhurst
In August, British journalist Richard Medhurst was arrested and held under Section 12 of the UK Terrorism Act for 24 hours.
Medhurst explained in a video on X that police “arrested me under section 12 of the Terrorism Act of 2000 and accused me of allegedly ‘expressing an opinion or belief that is supportive of a prescribed organization’ but wouldn’t explain what this meant.”
‘Political Persecution’ – Journalist Richard Medhurst Arrested under UK Terrorism Act
Medhurst believed he was “the first journalist to be arrested under this provision of the Terrorism Act,” and added, “I feel that this is a political persecution and hampers my ability to work as a journalist.”
Sarah Wilkinson
Later that month, human rights activist Sarah Wilkinson was detained after her home was raided reportedly for “content that she has posted online.” She was subsequently released on bail.
Wilkinson, known for Palestinian advocacy, was “bailed to ‘never’ use a phone/laptop,” her daughter posted on X.
‘Content Posted Online’ – British Police Arrest Rights Activist, Sarah Wilkinson
“The police came to her house just before 7.30am. 12 of them in total, some of them in plain clothes from the counter terrorism police. They said she was under arrest for ‘content that she has posted online.’ Her house is being raided & they have seized all her electronic devices”, her brother, Jack Wilkinson, said on X.
The Lebanese MENA Uncensored news platform demanded her immediate release and said in a statement that Wilkinson was a “news contributor and roving reporter” who had been “providing critical news coverage and analysis in collaboration with the website’s team,” particularly the “unfolding crisis” in Gaza.
(The Palestine Chronicle)
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