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SvennoJ on 13 February 2026
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UN expert ‘welcomes’ ruling that UK’s ban on Palestine Action was unlawful

Ben Saul, the United Nations special rapporteur on human rights and counterterrorism, has welcomed the UK’s High Court ruling that the government’s ban on the pro-Palestinian campaign group Palestine Action as a “terror group” was unlawful.

In a post on X, the special rapporteur said the government’s proscription was “indeed disproportionate” and invited the UK’s home secretary, Shabana Mahmood, to “reflect” on the ruling and accept the court’s decision.



‘Huge victory’: Palestine Action cofounder hails UK court decision

Huda Ammori has hailed a UK High Court ruling as a landmark moment for campaigners and for Palestinians. “This is a huge victory for the movement, for people across Britain, for our rights,” she told Al Jazeera. “But crucially, this is a victory for the Palestinian people.”

Ammori said the judgement was a rejection of efforts to label direct action in solidarity with Gaza as “terrorism”. “It’s a victory to say that it is not terrorism, to act in effective solidarity with them and to destroy the weapons which are being made in Britain and are used to commit a genocide in Gaza,” she said.

Despite the ruling, Palestine Action remains formally proscribed, Ammori noted, adding that the court today laid the groundwork for the ban to be eventually overturned.  “It is just a matter of time … when the ban will be lifted completely,” she said.

Huda Ammori says the High Court ruling against the government’s prescription of Palestine Action exposes the scale of unlawful prosecutions under terrorism laws. She said the judgement means “every single arrest, the thousands of arrests for holding signs, would also be unlawful.

“What Palestine action did, and is acting to save lives in Palestine,” she said.

Paying tribute to supporters, Ammori said all those who stood up against the ban were “incredible”. “The government used British taxpayers’ money in order to prosecute its own people for an unlawful law,” she added.

 

EU countries falsely accuse UN expert Francesca Albanese in ‘witch hunt’

A UN human rights spokesperson has expressed concern about attacks on independent UN experts after several European governments criticised the organisation’s special ⁠rapporteur for Palestine, Francesca Albanese.

“We are very ⁠worried. We are concerned that UN officials, independent experts and judicial officials are increasingly subjected to personal attacks, threats and misinformation that distracts from the serious human rights issues,” UN Human Rights Office spokesperson Marta Hurtado told a news briefing.

This follows condemnation from Germany, France and Italy this week of Albanese’s alleged criticism of Israel. Albanese, an Italian lawyer, denies making the remarks. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot accused her of making “outrageous and reprehensible ⁠remarks” against Israel.

Albanese said in overnight remarks on X: “Three European governments accuse me – based on statements I never made – with a virulence and conviction that they have NEVER used against those who have slaughtered 20,000+ children in 858 ⁠days.”

Francesca Albanese’s Doha speech was doctored to suggest she called Israel the “common enemy of humanity”. She posted the full video, saying she meant the system shielding abuses from accountability.

France, joined by Germany and the Czech Republic, has urged her resignation, despite UN warnings of mounting attacks and disinformation against independent experts.

The disinformation might as well be coming from any of those countries...