A Palestinian flag is flown by a protestor outside Britain's high court, in London, on February 13, 2026. BEN STANSALL / AFP
England's high court upheld a challenge to a UK government ban on activist group Palestine Action on Friday, February 13, saying it had interfered with the right to freedom of speech. However, Palestine Action remains banned until February 20, to allow the government to contest the decision, the judges said.
The government ban made being a member of Palestine Action or demonstrating support for it a serious criminal offence punishable by up to 14 years in prison. It put Palestine Action on a blacklist that also includes Palestinian militants Hamas and the Lebanese Iran-backed group Hezbollah, and sparked a severe backlash.
"Overall the court considered that the proscription of Palestine Action was disproportionate. A very small number of Palestine Action's activities amounted to acts of terrorism," the judges ruled. The proscription resulted in a "very significant interference with the right to freedom of speech and free assembly," the judges ruled.
Nearly 3,000 people, some aged in their 80s, have been arrested and hundreds charged for showing support for Palestine Action at demonstrations since July. Most were detained for holding up posters in support of the group, according to protest organisers Defend Our Juries.
