Serious issues raised by Palestine Action decision

Decision by Court of Appeal raises serious issues about our rights

June 2026

The dreadful decision by the Appeal Court last week raises issues way beyond the matter of Palestine Action and whether or not they are terrorists. On 15 June they upheld the decision to proscribe Palestine Action as a terrorist organisation. As Liberty has argued “This judgement risks paving the way for current and future governments to use counterterror powers against non-terrorist groups as we have seen in other countries, to silence activists, minorities and opponents.”

Amnesty say that prosecutors want to make an example of them and set a precedent for how direct action protestors could be treated in future. The decision will have a chilling effect on protest and will undoubtedly leave many people nervous of making their views known or attending vigils or marches.

Perhaps the most disturbing aspect of the judgement was the statement made by the judges:

“It is not, as it claims, a direct action civil disobedience protest group like the suffragettes operating transparently in the open. It is a covert organisation that operates using secret cells to avoid the detection and prosecution of those using violence to destroy the property of third parties. Palestine Action’s activities have caused injury as well as property damage.“

It is hard to countenance that a group of supposedly learned judges should make a statement which is factually incorrect, historically naïve and verging on the bizarre. The suffragettes committed a large number of violent acts including damage to property, bombings and arson. They carried out these activities – about 300 all told – over many years. The number and extent of their actions far exceed those of Palestine Action. That judges of a senior court should be so misinformed is a worry.

Belfast and Southampton

Last week saw violence in Belfast and Southampton. Part of this was a series of organised attacks on houses containing refugees or immigrants. They were burnt out of their homes in acts of deliberate violence. The police came under sustained and violent attack. Despite the scale and nastiness of the attacks, there has been no question of using the terrorism word. The actions clearly fell into the definition of terrorism. Those who incited the violence are interviewed on media programmes.

In a previous post we commented on the attitude of successive governments towards the Gulf states and the double think involved. On the one hand talking in grand terms about a new world order, democracy and human rights, and on the other supplying arms and succour to a collection of brutal states which do the precise opposite. Where there is no democracy, women are second class citizens and certainly there are no human rights. Where our Royal family and others happily mingle with tyrants.

It is a looking glass world. Thousands have been arrested, many elderly, for protesting about the violence, destruction and genocide in Gaza and now in Lebanon. At least 73,000 have died in Gaza and thousands more wounded. Israel will not allow in heavy lifting equipment to help clear the rubble and retrieve bodies buried in it.

Immigration a hot potato again

Immigration has shot to the top of the political agenda again with a vengence

June 2026

Riots in Belfast with houses lived in by immigrant families burned out, a massive police presence with water canons being used and civil disturbances in Southampton, have filled out screens in the past few days. A fierce debate in parliament and what some might term inflammatory statements by politicians have added to a sense that there is a crisis at the centre of which is immigration.

The violent knife attack by a Sudanese man who had entered Northern Ireland via the Republic, and before that France, has inflamed tensions with mobs directing their ire at all immigrants even those who have lived here for years and are a key part of the NHS for example. Posters in Southampton said things like ‘Enough is Enough’ and ‘Illegal migration is destroying our civilisation’. They claimed solidarity with those in Belfast. There were also counter protests (see image).

As with so many things to do with immigration, there is a great deal of misinformation fuelled by social media in particular although print media is not too far behind. Elon Musk has been widely criticised for his remarks on X and the promotion of comments by Tommy Robinson and Rupert Lowe (Restore Party).

Immigration: some of the facts

To get a global perspective on the trends in migration, a recent article in the Journal of Refugee Studies has found that most “forced migration”(its preferred term) in recent years has taken place in the Global South (76%), most of that being into neighbouring countries (in Africa and Asia primarily). Turkey and Iran have been the biggest recipients. At the same time, the UNHCR say that 10% of global refugees (some 11 million) have lost funding from the Commission in the last year.

In Europe, the Chisinau conference on dealing with the immigration issue ended without a decisive result. Last year 7 Council of Europe countries declared that the ECHR had “gone too far” and “protects the wrong people.” The Secretary-General convened this meeting of European justice ministers, which issued a joint statement (not including France, Germany, Spain or Turkey, who take 60% of refugees to the continent), reaffirming their commitment to the ECHR, but allowing some movement in removing claimants and using offshore hubs. The declaration is not legally binding, so local laws override it. It is worth pointing out that only 0.7% of foreign offenders have won appeals against the UK at the Court (and a recent case at the UK Court of Appeal has shown how hard it is to use the infamous Article 3 argument).

Are the figures up or down?

Latest (2025) figures on irregular immigration to Europe showed Spain as the main host, followed by Italy and France (UK was 5^th, but only 9^th on a per head basis). It is worth noting, though, that the number of arrivals on the European borders is down this year (by 40%), as it is in Britain.

In Britain, the latest British Future survey of public opinion noted that 49% of respondents believed that immigration is rising, when it is falling rapidly. They also believed that asylum seekers make up 33% of immigrants (the actual figure is 9%). The latest figures on small boats (to late May) indicate that, at 8,565, they are down by 37% on 2025. Pending asylum applications in Q1 were at 93,000, 12,000 down on last year.

Down, but you would not know it from the media or from politicians.

The House of Commons Public Accounts Committee has published a very critical report on the workings of the asylum system, which it says lacks direction and is given to short-term fixes. Particular criticism was directed at the failings of the system of monitoring failed asylum seekers and the lack of a clear strategy for the move away from hotel accommodation for new claimants. One aspect of the failing system is that research has shown that, of persons held in immigration detention, only 27% had a lawyer and half were having to do their own legal representation.

The ongoing debate about indefinite leave to remain rumbles on. Plans have been mooted to make the 5-year time requirement retrospective, which would affect 2 million people, including 300,000 children. The Institute of Government has declared against such a scheme. There is also an ongoing issue about classifying children as adults (with the Home Office attempting to use AI to help decide.) The Helen Bamber Foundation claim that 755 children were classified as adults in the last year. They have also a report out, interviewing some children on the stress of the proposed new restrictions.

The Migration Observatory report that the share of asylum seekers in hotel accommodation has halved since 2023 to 21%. The North West has the highest incidence. They also report the 3 in 10asylum seekers with active claims were not receiving any government support at the end of 2025.

The Rwanda deportation plan, now abandoned, cost the UK £270 million, to remove 4 people. The Rwandan government’s claim for compensation was turned down this month by the International Court at The Hague.

Refugee Week

The Salisbury Group will have a presence in the Cheese Market in the City centre on Saturday 20th June from 09:00 till noon. Details in a later post.

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June 11, 2026 1

Talk in Southampton

“Is football a net good for humanity?”

February 2026

PAST EVENT: See later post.

The Southampton group is hosting this talk on Monday 2nd March at the University and booking is advised. The subtitle is the impact of sport on human rights. The lecture is by Miguel Delaney, the chief sports writer for the Independent. Starts at 6 pm.

We have posted a number of pieces on the subject of sportswashing and the effects on human rights. Sport as we have said – not just football but tennis, golf, cycling, motor sport, athletics, boxing and others – are being used by various unsavoury regimes to promote their image. Fans seem not to be concerned about the fearful human rights issues taking place in those countries, the routine use of torture, the absence of a free press and the imprisonment of opposition leaders, human rights defenders and lawyers. Vast sums of money are expended in the activity and several despots now own British football clubs. So the talk should be an interesting one.

“Is football a net good for humanity?
The impact of sport on human rights” Guest speaker: Miguel Delaney, chief football writer for The Independent Monday 2 March | 18:00
Avenue Campus & Online

The School of Humanities at the University of Southampton,
in partnership with Amnesty International (Southampton group),
is excited to present Miguel Delaney to deliver the 11th Human Rights Lecture.

Book your place here

February 26, 2026 0

Human Rights lecture

Human rights lecture in Southampton with Kate Adie

April 2024

We are delighted to tell you that Southampton group’s 10th Annual Human Rights lecture will be on Tuesday 14 May. The venue is the Faculty of Arts and Humanities at the Avenue Campus of the University of Southampton, SO17 1BJ. The journalist Kate Adie, CBE DL, Chief News Correspondent for BBC News between 1989 and 2003, will be the speaker. The lecture is free to attend though you will be asked to book via Eventbrite. It will begin at 6.00 p.m. and refreshments will be available beforehand. They are still awaiting final details, including the link for booking.

April 25, 2024 0

Southampton event

Sing for Freedom

Our colleagues in Southampton are holding and event in June and have asked us to promote it locally which we are happy to do. It is a folk concert and is in Freemantle on June 24th starting at 7:30. Tickets are £6 on the door. Further details on the poster link below:

Southampton event

April 28, 2019 0

Brilliant lecture in Southampton

Lecture by Prof Phillippe Sands at Southampton University

It was a pleasure to attend the annual lecture organised by the Romsey and Southampton Amnesty group given by Phillippe Sands (the link is to several of his articles). It was based on his book East West Street concerning in part the city of Lviv which was known at Lemberg in the nineteenth century and was also known as Lwów. Under the Soviets it was called Lvov. Its importance in his story was that two people came from the town who were very influential in the post-war developments of human rights.

Hersch Lauterpacht. Picture: the Guardian

First was Hersch Lauterpacht who was born just north of Lemberg and moved there in 1911, and the second was Rafael Lemkin who was born in Ozerisko and moved to Lemberg in 1900. They both worked behind the scenes during the Nuremberg trials. But their claims to fame are that Lauterpacht was instrumental in getting the world to agree the need for action on crimes against humanity and Lemkin on the concept of genocide. It is surprising that these two concepts are fairly recent and both date from 1945: one assumes they have been around for a lot longer. But that they both emanate from two men from the same town in east Poland is even more remarkable. Despite this and despite the fact they worked in the same field, they never met as far as is known.

Lauterpacht it was who wrote the International Bill of the Rights of Man which invoked Churchill’s commitment to the ‘enthronement of the rights of man.’ His book was key in the development of the UN declaration.

Sands discussed the arguments concerning whether ‘genocide’ should be included and in

Raphael Lemkin. Picture: The London Globalist

the early years it was sometimes in and sometimes dropped. It met resistance because of legal doubts. Lemkin was keen to introduce this as a crime largely because of the German’s crimes in the war an in particular the activities of Hans Frank who oversaw the slaughter in his former town and Poland generally. Frank was hanged after the Nuremberg trials.

He finished his lecture by discussing briefly, the current state of affairs with regard to human rights. He expressed an ‘acute sense of anxiety at what stirs in our midst’ referring part to the far right groups in eastern Europe especially as they suffered so much under the Nazis.

He said he had a ‘sense of going backwards’ with our own politicians wanting to come out of the European convention which he thought was ‘unbelievable’. The platitudes of many of the current politicians seems to reflect a lack of knowledge of post-war events.

East West Street: On the Origins of Genocide and Crimes Against Humanity is published by Weidenfeld & Nicolson (£20).

January 13, 2017 0

Tapestry: detailed pictures, final set

The last set of pictures of the panels on the tapestry currently in the entrance to the Chapter House at Salisbury Cathedral. Each panel represents an article from the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Video

Article 26: Everyone has the right to an education, elementary schools should be free and compulsory. Contributed from the Southampton City group.

Article 27: Everyone has the right to freely participate in the cultural life of the community. Team effort this by Fay, Janet, Sharon, Sue and Gretel, members of the Romsey group.

Article 28: Everyone is entitled to a social and international order in which the rights and freedoms set out here can be fully respected. The third panel by our Regional Representative, Caroline Butler.

Article 29: Everyone has duties to the community. This is the second panel in the tapestry contributed by a refugee group, this time GARAS, the Gloucester Action for Refugees and Asylum Seekers. GARAS offers support to those seeking asylum in Gloucestershire; welcoming them when they arrive; advocating for them in their daily struggles; supporting them if they face being sent back, as well as helping them adjust to their long term future if they are recognised as refugees.

Article 30: No one has the right to act in such a way as to destroy the rights and freedoms set in in this declaration. The fourth panel from the Southampton City group.

End

December 20, 2015 1

Tapestry: detailed pictures 3

This is the third set of detailed pictures from the tapestry currently on display at Salisbury Cathedral at the entrance to the Chapter House where a copy of Magna Carta is displayed. It illustrates the articles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. A picture of the whole thing is on an earlier blog with a short video.

Article 11: Everyone charged with a penal offence has the right to be presumed innocent until proven guilty. This panel prepared by Rona Keene of the Bristol group.

Article 12: No one shall be subjected to arbitrary interference with their privacy, family, home or correspondence, nor attacks upon their honour and reputation. Another panel by Cari a member of the Frome group.

Article 13: Everyone has the right to freedom of movement. Prepared by the Farringdon group.

Article 14: Everyone has the right to seek and enjoy in other countries asylum from persecution. People lose this right if they do not respect what is written here. Another panel from the Southampton City group.

Article 15: Everyone has the right to a nationality. Another panel from the Bristol group this time prepared by Sarah Heath.

Any errors or if you want to add a name please let us know .

December 18, 2015 1

Tapestry: detailed pictures 2

This is the second batch of detailed pictures from the tapestry. See a previous blog showing the full thing in all its glory and also a short video clip.

Article 6: Everyone has the right to recognition everywhere as a person before the law. This panel contributed by the Southampton group.

Article 7: All are equal before the law and are entitled without any discrimination to equal protection of the law. Made by Caroline Butler on behalf of the Cheltenham and Gloucester group.

Article 8: Everyone has the right to legal help when rights granted by a country to its citizens are not respected. Rachel Berry made this on behalf of the mid-Gloucester group. She also did No: 5.

Article 9: No one should be subject to arbitrary arrest, detention or exile. Made by Cari and Judy, members of the Frome group.

Article 10: Everyone is entitled in full equality to a fair and public hearing by an independent and impartial tribunal. Made by Caroline Butler, the Regional Representative, for the groups in the south.

As before, if there are errors or anyone wants to add something, please get in touch or send a comment through this site.

December 18, 2015 0

Tag: Southampton