Afrin, Legal Analysis

CAMPACC Oppose new powers to prosecute returnees from designated overseas areas

28 May 2019|Campaign Against Criminalising Communities (CAMPACC)

Oppose new powers to prosecute returnees from designated overseas areas

In the wake of the panic caused by British citizens travelling to North East Syria to join ISIS, and the terrorist threat they may pose upon their return, the British government rushed through the Counter-Terrorism and Border Security Act 2019.  It created a new offence of entering or remaining in a “designated area” overseas (Section 4, amending section 58 of the Terrorism Act 2000). The offence would apply to UK nationals and residents, with a maximum penalty of ten years imprisonment, a fine, or both. A “reasonable excuse” defence is available; limited exceptions are permitted. But the onus is on the defendant to provide the reasonable excuse. In other words, this Act has eliminated the presumption of innocence and replaced it with a presumption of guilt.

Continue reading “CAMPACC Oppose new powers to prosecute returnees from designated overseas areas” →

Peace process, Political prisoners

New government funding initiative to tackle ‘terrorist’ abuse in the UK charity sector

But why do UK government and intelligence agencies and special forces remain publicly unaccountable for their promotion of ‘extremist-terrorist activities?’

by Desmond Fernandes

The government, with much fanfare, has just announced new funding for the Charity Commission to “tackle abuse, including extremist activity, in the charity sector”. The Charity Commission is to receive £8 million of funding over the next three years to boost it’s ability “to tackle abuse, including the use of funds for extremist and terrorist activity”, the government press release reports (‘New funding and powers to tackle abuse in the charity sector’, UK government press release). The announcement is timed to coincide with Prime Minister David Cameron’s chairing of a meeting of the Extremism Task Force “to discuss progress on delivering the government’s counter extremism strategy” […]

 

Read the article in full at Kurdish Question

Kurdish community

Rest in peace and power, Tony Benn (1925-2014)

Tony Benn, one of the UK’s foremost radical leftist politicians, president of Stop the War Coalition, long-time supporter of Kurdish rights, sadly passed on today. Here we recall his words on the Terrorism Act 2001, which criminalises the entire Kurdish community and many others as ‘terrorist’, when it was first introduced:

Tony-Benn-picture
“Until we can get the act defeated we are all going to live under its shadow”
Tony Benn

One of the last things I did before I left Parliament to devote more time to politics was to vote against the Terrorism Bill. It was introduced, after 24 hours, without any real discussion … I might add this was just after the Americans had bombed Sudan allegedly in an anti-terrorist act described as a humanitarian mission by the  United States … What you have to recognise is that imperialism always dresses itself up in the language of humanitarianism, always. Any one who remembers as I do what Britain was like when the Empire was there, it was our mission to the world, the sun never set on the British Empire, it was the white man civilising the world.

Continue reading “Rest in peace and power, Tony Benn (1925-2014)” →

Conflict resolution, Peace process

German authorities review the ban on the PKK/trial test and talks with Ankara

 

Berlin – MESOP – 2.6.2013 – In secret negotiations with Turkey, German security authorities are reviewing the ban on the activity of the left-extremist PKK (Kurdistan Workers’ Party), imposed in 1993.

Members of the Interior Ministry of the German Bundestag like Franz Josef Jung (CDU) and Dieter Wiefelspütz (SPD) have pointed to consultations, which suggest that the VS had originally expressed vehement opposition against the PKK ban. They are now “testing” the Turkish reaction. The latter being negative for sure, but possibly only towards outside – as the legalisation of the PKK in the foreseeable future would allow the Erdogan government to lead more relaxed talks and negotiations with the PKK.

Continue reading “German authorities review the ban on the PKK/trial test and talks with Ankara” →