Self-proclaimed Zionist, Islam critic and activist Tommy Robinson has been sentenced to 18 months in prison for contempt of court.
Despite a previous conviction for contempt, Mr Robinson repeated on several occasions claims that a named Syrian migrant had attacked British schoolgirls.
The story began back in October 2018 when a film clip was circulated showing Syrian Jamal Hijazi being attacked by another teenager at school.
Mr Robinson, or Stephen Yaxley-Lennon as he is known, waded into the debate, posting a picture on social media of the Syrian as a violent and dangerous individual who had repeatedly attacked other students at the school.
Robinson’s post went viral and reportedly led to death threats against the Syrian teenager and his family. According to British police, the claims that he had attacked fellow students were also false, and in 2021 the Islam critic was convicted of defamation and ordered to pay £100,000 (€120,000) in damages.
The court also ruled that Robinson was banned from making the allegations again, but in 2023 a new post and a self-produced film were released, again labelling the Syrian as violent and in which the British activist argued that he had been silenced by the British state – this film was also widely distributed and is estimated to have been viewed nearly 47 million times.
Tommy was sentenced to 18 months for contempt of court for releasing this documentary. It’s more important than ever to watch it and see why they wanted to hide it. @TRobinsonNewEra pic.twitter.com/ppOQwazi1j
— leilani dowding ☮️ (@LeilaniDowding) October 28, 2024
This summer, Robinson also screened the film in front of thousands of supporters in London’s Trafalgar Square, declaring that he would never be silenced.
“Regards himself as above the law”
By ignoring the court’s orders, the prosecution argued that Mr Robinson had “undermined the rule of law”, and the court decided that he should be sentenced to a year and a half in prison for his comments.
– Nobody is above the law. Nobody can pick or choose which laws or which injunctions they obey, or which they do not... They are not entitled to set themselves up as the judge in their own court. Otherwise the administration of justice and rule of law would break down, declared Judge Jeremy Johnson.
– The defendant has not shown any inclination to comply with the injunction in the future. All of his actions suggest that he regards himself as above the law, he continued.
Tommy Robinson is in the same prison as the Southport killer.
One made a documentary. The other killed children.
Let that sink in.
— CHARLIE SANSOM (@CharlieSansom) October 29, 2024
Risking isolation
According to defence lawyer Sasha Wass, Robinson should be seen as a journalist simply following his principles and a passionate defender of free speech.
– This defendant has been neither sly nor dishonest nor seeking gain for himself, she argued.
She also pointed out that prison officials dislike Mr Robinson for purely political reasons and that he is at risk of being placed in solitary confinement – as happened when he was last imprisoned, causing trauma and recurring panic attacks and nightmares.
Robinson has admitted breaching the 2021 court order.
