UK starts cracking down on journalists critical of Israel, genocide

Alameen Templeton

British journalist Richard Medhurst was detained last Thursday at Heathrow Airport under Section 12 of the UK’s Terrorism Act, reportedly due to his journalistic work.
Upon his arrival, six police officers apprehended him, and he was held and interrogated for almost 24 hours.
Medhurst’s arrest on August 15, came eight days after the FBI raided the home of journalist and CN columnist Scott Ritter in the United States.
Born in Syria to a British father and a Syrian mother who were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1988 for their peacekeeping work, Medhurst hosts regular live broadcasts and video reports on Youtube.
He focuses mainly on US politics, international affairs and the Middle East from an anti-imperialist perspective. He has built a large following online, amassing over a million views on YouTube and over 100 000 followers on Twitter and Facebook combined.
Medhurst was one of the few independent journalists who covered the Julian Assange extradition hearing at the Old Bailey in London. He has appeared on RT, Al Mayadeen, Alikhbaria, Black Agenda Report, The Canary and various other outlets.
In a video posted on X, Medhurst described his experience at Heathrow Airport in distressing detail. He revealed that one officer seized his phone, preventing him from notifying his family.
Medhurst was subjected to two searches within ten minutes, and his belongings, including journalistic equipment, were thoroughly ransacked.
The prominent journalist was placed in a solitary confinement cell that he deemed unfit for human habitation and was monitored by cameras even while using the restroom. Medhurst expressed that the entire ordeal seemed designed to “intimidate, humiliate, and dehumanize him,” despite his clear identity as a journalist.
Additionally, many of his basic requests, including for water, were significantly delayed, further adding to his distress.
“This was done on purpose to rattle me psychologically….. I am not a terrorist and I am a product of the diplomatic community and I was raised to be anti-war,” he stressed.
“I condemn terrorism,” he added.
“Those of us who, like myself, are speaking up and reporting on the situation in Palestine are being targeted,” in reference to the fact that journalists covering sensitive issues, such as the ongoing Israeli genocide against Palestinians in Gaza, are increasingly facing scrutiny and repercussions,” Medhurst stated.
“Palestine, the humanitarian crisis in Gaza remains the most pressing news story in the world. However, it seems that any statement … can be … twisted into an offence of the highest order.”
He censured the British government for suppressing freedom of expression.
“Freedom of the press and freedom of speech are really under attack. The state is cracking down and escalating to try and stop people from speaking out against our government’s complicity in genocide,” he said.
Not a Muslim himself, Medhurst has nevertheless been sharply critical of the UK government’s enablement of the Gaza genocide and it is believed this is what led to his arrest. His has been one of the few voices in London speaking against the genocide while the mainstream media in the country have either tolerated or supported London’s stance of continuous weapons supply.
For decades, British Muslims have been lied about, smeared, demonised and subject to one moral panic after another, the latest right-wing riots being the latest chapter.
Middle East Eye reports the British media’s false and inflammatory reporting has created an environment where Muslims or their supporters like Medhurst get targeted.
Spectator columnist Rod Liddle once defended Islamophobia, noting that it “seems to be an entirely rational response to an illiberal, vindictive and frankly fascist creed”. He wrote these words a few years ago, but this school of journalism continues to flourish.
Again and again, the “pitchfork and torches” British media along with the Tories or an incumbent Labour government like Tony Blair’s, have abused Muslims, sending out the signal they are fair game.
It was seen with Zac Goldsmith’s toxic campaign to be mayor of London in 2016. Or Michael Gove’s state-sponsored attack on Birmingham schools in alliance with an Islamophobic media – a poisonous lie.
Bereft of serious policies, the Tories throughout their rule played “wedge politics” – sowing division and creating culture wars which stirred anger and division.
Now, with Medhurst’s arrest, it seems Labour may be dancing to the same jig.
His detention has sparked serious concerns about freedom of speech and the treatment of journalists in the UK and the impact of this arrest on journalism and political expression.
Section 12 of the British Terrorism Act, borrowing terms straight out of apartheid South Africa’s notorious Internal Security Act of 1956, criminalises holding certain opinions or beliefs. It reads:
“12 Support.
(1) A person commits an offence if—
(a) he invites support for a proscribed organisation, and
(b) the support is not, or is not restricted to, the provision of money or other property (within the meaning of section 15).
[F1(1A) A person commits an offence if the person—
(a) expresses an opinion or belief that is supportive of a proscribed organisation, and
(b ) in doing so is reckless as to whether a person to whom the expression is directed will be encouraged to support a proscribed organisation.]”
It could set a troubling precedent for how authorities manage reporters covering sensitive or contentious issues.
In a post on X, SL Kanthan, a noted columnist, blogger, and podcaster, condemned Medhurst’s detention as an infringement on free speech. He said Medhurst’s arrest stems from his vocal support for Palestinians in Gaza, drawing a question mark under the freedom of expression in the “garden of Europe.”
One X user declared: “England has fallen.,” saying Medhurst’s arrest was “UK insanity”.
Another expressed astonishment at the arrest of Medhurst, stating the arrest represents an attempt to “terrorize with truth.”
The comments underscore growing alarm about the erosion of free speech rights and the misuse of anti-terrorism laws in the United Kingdom.