GENEVA: The United Nations rights chief on Friday slammed Britain’s ban on activist group Palestine Action as a “disturbing” misuse of UK counter-terrorism legislation and urged the government to rescind its move.
“The decision appears disproportionate and unnecessary,” Volker Turk said in a statement.
The ban, introduced under Britain’s Terrorism Act 2000, took effect earlier this month after activists from the group broke into an air force base in southern England.
Two aircraft were sprayed with red paint, causing an estimated £7.0 million ($9.55 million) in damage.
Turk’s statement said the ban raised “serious concerns that counter-terrorism laws are being applied to conduct that is not terrorist in nature, and risks hindering the legitimate exercise of fundamental freedoms across the UK.”
