British far-right activist Tommy Robinson was briefly detained at Heathrow Airport this past weekend after returning from Russia via Turkey, according to a report by the Financial Times citing the Metropolitan Police. Robinson himself posted a photo on X showing a document indicating that he had been stopped under provisions of Britain’s counterterrorism legislation.
Police said Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, was stopped on the evening of June 13 after arriving in the UK. He was questioned under Schedule 3 of the Counter-Terrorism and Border Security Act 2019 and was later released without charge.
Robinson said the detention lasted around three hours. The document he posted says Schedule 3 allows border officials to stop, question, and search people to determine whether they may be involved in “hostile activity.” The powers can be used without requiring suspicion that a person has committed a crime.
In recent days, Robinson had posted videos from Moscow, where he met Elon Musk’s father, Errol. He also actively commented on a knife attack in Belfast and shared information about the ensuing protests in Northern Ireland, some of which escalated into anti-migrant riots.
