Tommy Robinson, a British anti-Islam activist known for his far-right affiliations, was arrested under schedule seven of the Terrorism Act 2000 following a protest he organized on July 28 in London. Robinson, who has served as a political advisor to former UK Independence Party (UKIP) leader Gerard Batten and was a deputy leader of the British Freedom Party (BFP), is also a co-founder of the English Defence League (EDL).
The protest against mass immigration, which drew roughly 10,000 attendees, culminated in Robinson’s arrest. A transcript of a phone call made during his detention was released by Robinson’s team, wherein he alleges that the police “already admitted they know I’ve done nothing [terrorism-related],” yet held him for six hours. He also stated that authorities requested access to his phone, a demand he resisted by citing journalistic privilege.
Robinson suspects that his arrest was triggered by his recent documentary, SILENCED, which addresses a legal case involving a Syrian refugee schoolboy, Jamal Hijazi. The case, where Robinson was found guilty of libel, resulted in injunctions against him for further defamatory content. The release of this documentary allegedly violated those injunctions.
Following his release on bail earlier today, Robinson was due in court for a hearing regarding the documentary. However, he left the UK via Eurotunnel before his court appearance. Consequently, a senior judge has issued a warrant for his arrest on charges of contempt of court.
The full details of the case can be read on JURIST.