Report says UK jailing Palestine supporters and climate activists
The United Kingdom has effectively created a new category of political prisoners through its treatment of protesters involved in Palestine solidarity and climate activism campaigns since 2019, a new report claims.
The report, titled Britain’s Political Prisoners, was co-published by Queen Mary University of London's Centre for Climate Crime and Climate Justice and Defend Our Juries.
“This report strips away the illusion that Britain remains committed to democratic principles,” said Tim Crosland, of Defend Our Juries, which co-authored the report.
“It reveals that peaceful protesters are being jailed in ever-increasing numbers, under pressure from the oil and arms industries, the Israeli government and their lobbyists,” Crosland said.
The report comes amid ongoing debate over protest rights in the UK, including a recent High Court ruling that found the government's ban on Palestine Action unlawful, a decision currently being appealed by the Home Office.
Police monitor protesters criticising Prime Minister Keir Starmer in Golders Green, London, 30 April 2026 (Carlos Jasso/AFP)