The police case against Asa Winstanley, a journalist who has consistently stood with Palestine and exposed the Israeli genocide, fell as a judge refused a so-called "production order". Among other writings, Winstanley is the author of the book "Weaponising Anti-Semitism: How the Israel Lobby Brought Down Jeremy Corbyn" (OR Books, 2023).

Asa Winstanley - Photo: Skwawkbox

Skwawkbox reports that the government-instigated dawn raid last October by the Metropolitan Police counter-terror officers on the home of Electronic Intifada (EI) journalist Asa Winstanley was unlawful. In the raid, Winstanley's electronic devices were seized and had been held since. The judge, in addition to the ruling that the seizure was unlawful, ordered the police to return everything they took without examining the contents.

The Skwawkbox article says: "All devices have been returned to Winstanley today [May 27] after Recorder Mark Lucraft KC, the most senior judge at London's Central Criminal Court, issued the ruling last week. Some ten police officers were involved in the raid and seized documents as well as seven devices, but the force admitted, in correspondence with Winstanley's lawyers last November, that its warrants were improperly obtained and therefore not enforceable, prompting them to ask the judge for a 'Production Order' to gain access to the seized items.

"Lucraft said that he was 'very troubled' by the way the warrants were obtained and used against a journalist, and denied the Met's request for a Production Order that would have approved the raid retroactively and forced Winstanley to disclose information and provide passwords to his devices, saying that: 'Any warrant seeking material in the hands of a journalist requires extremely careful handling.'"

Asa Winstanley said of the case: "Instead of the unlawful warrants they used, the police could have applied for a Production Order. However, the standard required to do so means that they would have needed to show some grounds to suspect criminality and justify that before a judge. Something they were clearly unable to do."

The judge agreed with Winstanley's lawyers, Bindmans, that the seized devices "would include items subject to legal professional privilege by virtue of his involvement in the Undercover Policing Inquiry, or excluded material, or special procedure material by virtue of his profession as a journalist". Winstanley's legal case was supported by the National Union of Journalists (NUJ). The demand now is for the police to pay compensation to Asa Winstanley and his family, and to others affected by the raid and seizures.

This fight on the legal front has been important. The government has used the Terrorism Act 2000, Terrorism Act 2006 and the Counter-Terrorism and Border Security Act 2019 to attempt to criminalise those journalists and others who, far from being involved in any terrorist activities, have sought to expose and take a stand against Israeli-Zionism's genocide of the slaughter and starvation of the Palestinian people in Gaza. As Skwawkbox writes, "some journalists and activists [face] charges and possible prison sentences of up to fourteen years under the Terrorism Act as the [Starmer] regime tries to silence support for Palestinians and criticism and exposure of Israel's crimes and its interference in UK politics and legal processes". In particular, those who have demonstrated sympathy with the Palestinian resistance have been targeted. Those swept up in the campaign against journalists in the past two years as well as Asa Winstanley include Sarah Wilkinson, Richard Medhurst, Craig Murray, Johanna Ross, John Laughland, Vanessa Beeley, Kit Klarenberg, Ernest Moret, Richard Barnard, Tony Greenstein and Natalie Strecker.

The police reports have said that their action against Winstanley resulted from a "complaint" by unnamed complainants, which appears to have been from what a second report described as a "UK-based counter extremism think tank". Skwawkbox speculates that this is no doubt one of several pro-Israel pressure groups that often masquerade as charities and maintain close links with UK police, intelligence services and politicians in order to promote Israel's interests above those of Britain and its people. It points out that Asa Winstanley is a Palestine and Israel specialist who has reported on many of these pro-Israel organisations in the UK and, along with his Electronic Intifada colleagues, has steadfastly exposed and opposed Israel's genocide and other crimes in Gaza.

One such organisation which Winstanley exposed is the UK Lawyers for Israel (UKLFI). In 2020, for example, EI reported how UKLFI had made an out-of-court settlement to the charity Defence for Children International Palestine after proceedings for libel had been issued in the High Court in 2019 against UKLFI for suggesting that the charity was "terrorist linked". The UKLFI has been particularly active since the genocide in Gaza began, thuggishly issuing threats against venues hosting events simply expressing sympathy with the Palestinian people. One such event was the concert of the Cornelius Cardew Concerts Trust "The World Stands With Palestine" which was cancelled by the hosting venue after threats from the UKLFI. The Guardian recently carried an article on May 10 after UKLFI's chief executive urged that a motion to be debated at the Co-operative Group's annual general meeting be withdrawn. The motion called for the retailer to stop selling Israeli produce [1]. The chief executive is reported to have made the depraved comment in this connection that the war in Gaza "might result in lengthening the lives of Gazans, given the public health situation existing in Gaza prior to the war, including the extent of obesity". [2] As EI itself reported, it can be concluded that UKLFI "appears to have - at the very least - an informal working relationship with the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs". [3]

Fasting vigil in front of Parliament by the International Jewish
Anti-Zionist Network (IJAN) and others

It must be stated that the government is complicit in this state of affairs, the egregious use of police powers and the accusations coming from Israel that to support the resistance to US/Israeli-Zionist war crimes is terrorism. The government's words expressing disquiet about Israel's genocidal strategy of starvation of the people of Gaza and the increasing attacks upon Palestinians in the West Bank have come about as the movement against genocide and for the rights of the Palestinian people has grown stronger and as the resistance itself has been inflicting damage on the Zionist war crimes strategy.

As human rights activist Craig Murray points out on his blog: "The United Nations has written to the UK on the subject of its treatment both of pro-Palestinian protesters and journalists and the abuse of anti-terrorism legislation. It is almost certain that some of the same cases the UN cites are those the Israeli Embassy has been involved in. The contrast between the UK's treatment of the Israelis and of the United Nations could scarcely be different. The Israelis are invited in, while the Starmer regime has repudiated the United Nations."

It is clear that the movement to freely to tell the truth about the Israeli genocide, war crimes in which the British government is complicit, is growing as part of the movement to stand with Palestine. These cases of attempts to suppress this movement are being met with defiance and the refusal to be intimidated.

As Skwawkbox writes: "Winstanley's victory has struck a blow for justice and democracy to the Starmer regime's 'lawfare' war, using anti-terror legislation, on journalists and others who oppose Israel's slaughter and starvation of the Palestinian people in Gaza - but the war continues, with some journalists and activists facing charges and possible prison sentences of up to fourteen years under the Terrorism Act as the regime tries to silence support for Palestinians and criticism and exposure of Israel's crimes and its interference in UK politics and legal processes. ... Police have also used terrorism laws to hold young anti-genocide activists in prison for more than a year, despite not bringing charges against them under those laws."

The people are showing by their actions that they demand the end of the suppression and criminalisation of those who stand with Palestine. The people are opposed to the prosecution under "terrorism" legislation of those who are themselves taking a stand against state terrorism. It is an indication that it is the people who are standing for peace, justice and democracy, not the likes of Starmer and company and the Israeli war criminals.

Notes
1. At the AGM, 72.8% of Co-op members voted in favour of the motion, making it a non-binding advisory decision. The motion urged the Co-op board to demonstrate "moral courage and leadership" by ceasing trade with Israel.
2. "UK Lawyers for Israel condemned over claim war may reduce obesity in Gaza":
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/may/10/uk-lawyers-for-israel-condemned-over-claim-war-may-reduce-obesity-in-gaza
3. "UK Lawyers for Israel libelled charity":
https://electronicintifada.net/blogs/asa-winstanley/uk-lawyers-israel-libeled-charity

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