Lawyers representing a co-founder of Palestine Action have accused Home Secretary Yvette Cooper of running a calculated media campaign that undermines court proceedings over the group’s proscription under the Terrorism Act.
Huda Ammori, co-founder of the direct action network, has secured permission to pursue a judicial review challenging the government’s decision to ban the organisation. Her legal team claims Cooper’s public statements about the reasons for the ban differ significantly from the evidence disclosed in court.
According to Ammori’s lawyers at Birnberg Peirce, Cooper has suggested that Palestine Action was proscribed due to violent actions against individuals. However, the legal disclosure presented in open court reportedly shows that the ban was recommended primarily on the basis of serious property damage caused during protests, not violence against people. Officials advised that the move was intended to send a deterrent message that damaging property for political purposes amounts to terrorism.
The lawyers argue that if Cooper felt able to share information with the media about alleged future attacks or links to extremist activity, this material should have been included in the open evidence before the High Court. They highlight an opinion piece authored by Cooper, as well as reports that the Home Office had privately briefed newspapers with claims suggesting possible Iranian funding. Court documents, however, indicate that Palestine Action is largely financed through donations, crowdfunding and merchandise sales.
The legal team further disputes suggestions that the group had targeted Jewish businesses, noting that the business referred to was a landlord connected to a subsidiary of Israeli arms company Elbit Systems. They insist that Cooper’s approach risks misleading the public and undermining judicial fairness by advancing arguments outside the courtroom.
The letter submitted to the government’s legal department accuses the Home Secretary of breaching her duty of candour by promoting narratives that do not match the official evidence. The lawyers argue that any legitimate case for proscription should be made before the courts, not through media briefings.
Palestine Action became the first direct action group to be proscribed in the UK last month, placing it in the same category as banned extremist organisations such as Islamic State and National Action. The judicial review, in which Amnesty International UK and Liberty have been granted permission to intervene, is scheduled to be heard in November.
The Home Office has been approached for comment.
