There is a war within the war being fought on the backs of the Palestinian people. The slaughter of children and civilians carried out by Israel for almost a year now is joined by a war on the journalists who report on the slaughter.
Over 120 journalists killed, the Al Jazeera bureau in the West Bank shut down, international media barred from reporting from Gaza. But this war has now extended beyond Gaza and has reached Europe.
Independent British-Syrian journalist Richard Medhurst has been the first reporter to be arrested under Section 12. Based in Vienna and the son of two United Nations peacekeepers, Medhurst had been targeted for his journalism: the British authorities interpret his analyses and comments as supportive of organizations which are proscribed in the United Kingdom, like Hamas or Hezbollah. Two weeks after his arrest, activist Sarah Wilkinson had her home raided.
Il Fatto Quotidiano has interviewed Richard Medhurst, whose arrest has been condemned by the International Federation of Journalists and by the National Union of Journalists.
Could you please tell us what happened on the 15th of August?
I was flying to London Heathrow. As soon as we touched down, I was arrested by six police officers, most of them in plain clothes. I think two of them got in the actual plane and took my bags, they wouldn’t really explain what they wanted. One of them was in uniform, it was quite intimidating, and they just wanted my bags: ‘where’s your bag?’ And the whole plane meanwhile was waiting to get out. They took me to a room and they said something with “Terrorism Act”, and I just automatically assumed: ‘oh, this is Schedule 7’ [under Schedule 7 of the Terrorism Act, police can stop, search and question passengers at airports, ports, and international rail stations]. I didn’t understand what it could possibly
be. Then they handcuffed me, and I thought: ‘this is not normal’. They said: anything you say may harm your defense. They were recording everything with body cameras. I even tried to ask them: who are you? I really don’t know who you are. There were no names, they had no badges. I thought it was the Metropolitan Police. They searched me and drove me to the police station which is about 10-15 minutes away, and once we got there, they searched me again for some reason, and then there was this humiliating thing: sit down on the bench, take off your shoes, now take off your socks, now show us your socks, now turn the socks inside out, now show your feet. I found all that so unnecessary. What’s the point of that? I am not a physical threat.
Why had you travelled to London?
I travelled there because I was going to speak at the Beautiful Days Festival. I was going to speak with Craig Murray, David Miller, with Lowkey and just to see some friends and so on. I don’t know the reason they arrested me, I mean the real reason, but they didn’t really bring it up. They just went through my stuff, in the open, which is also kind of weird; they didn’t even bother going to a different room, they just did it in the lobby. I was asking: please can I go to the toilet? One of the officers took me to this room, there was no light, and my brain didn’t understand it was a cell, the conditions were so bad. There was no light, just to give you an idea. During that time I was asking: can you please tell me why I
have been arrested? What is Section 12? I really don’t know what it is, can you explain it to me? They were kind of avoiding my questions, and saying: you will find out afterwards, when you will be interviewed or questioned. The whole time I was there, I was incommunicado, I was not allowed to speak to family, I was not allowed to speak to friends. The only thing I could do was tell the lawyer: please tell my family. I was arrested at 6:30 in the evening, and the first time I was with the lawyer I think was the next day at 1 PM. I was questioned at 2 PM. Two detectives questioned me and I asked one of them – I was genuinely curious: where are you from? Are you from Scotland Yard? That was just my guess. They said: “Thames Valley”.
Were you in a single cell?
Yes, I was in solitary confinement, if you want to call that. The first time I went in there I really thought: this is under construction. There was literally nothing in that room, excepting the toilet, and the bed was raised by maybe 10 centimeters from the concrete, and on top of that raised concrete was a pillow, like kind of hard rock, and a mattress. It stank, the whole cell stank. There was a giant toilet with no cover, no toilet paper, and a camera watching. You wash your hands by sticking them in the wall, you press a button and tiny bits of soap squirt out. It really feels like 1984, it’s so dystopian. I didn’t get water for hours, I don’t know how long. That’s another thing: there are no clocks in the police station, there is no sense of time, there are no windows in the police station. I don’t know how even the police work in there. I don’t think it’s healthy for anyone, even the police.
What were their grounds for arresting you under Section 12?
If they had any evidence, I don’t think I would be speaking to you right now. I don’t think they would have released me, because they sent six officers, they made it seem like I had done something really wrong. It was very intimidating. They gave me unconditional bail, so I think it shows they know I am not a threat. The main problem is my reporting. This is what they were asking me about. I can’t go into individual questions for legal reasons. I would love to, actually. I really would.To give you an idea what this is meant to achieve, in their minds, even if they don’t charge me and they just keep me under investigation: it is already impeding me from working. It is having a chilling effect on other people. I am sure other people are looking at my case, and thinking: I don’t want to be arrested, I am not going to say anything. This is not good, for either journalists or non journalists, it is an affront to people’s right to free speech. I just find it astonishing that they literally put me off of the plane for my reporting. This is fascist. It is win-win for them: they even don’t have to charge me with anything, they can keep extending the investigation every three months and play with me, basically.
They are investigating you for terrorism. And in three months’ time what are you supposed to do?
I have to go back to the Heathrow Police Station in November, and then I will find out if I am charged or if they extend the investigation or take no further action. If they charge me, a conviction could carry 14 years. I don’t think anyone wants to face that kind of prospect. And when it comes to ‘no further action’: I know that in some other cases they told people: no further action, but a week later they charged them, they just reopened the case and charged them. Unfortunately now we are seeing a real crackdown by the government: they are using this Section 12 (1A) particularly to do it.
Were you asked about your contacts with Palestinian activists, politicians and so on?
I don’t think so. In Sarah Wilkinson’s case, I think they asked her to give them her contacts for Palestine, which I found quite shocking. A lot of weird stuff is going on. They ransacked her place. It’s relevant at the end of the day, especially in the context of what we are seeing right now, where journalists are being targeted in Gaza, foreign aid workers are being targeted really, with precision strikes. It’s not by accident, you can’t do that by accident in 2024, so it is quite concerning to put it mildly.
Did they ask you about your political and religious ideas?
I think so, but just to be safe I am not going to comment on the questions.
Do you feel intimidated, or do you feel reassured by the fact that the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) condemned your arrest at the highest level?
I definitely feel reassured, and I am grateful not just to the Secretary General of IFJ, and NUJ [the UK National Union of Journalists], but also to you, and all my colleagues, because everyone has been angry and rightfully so. I don’t feel intimidated, but it’s frustrating to put it mildly, because I really don’t know how to function whenever every single sentence I speak, whether it is war reporting or otherwise, is something that someone can go on and imprison you for. I don’t know what kind of effect this is going to have on other people, that’s what I am worried about. I am just hoping other people don’t feel that they have to silence themselves, or censor themselves or self-police.
ITALIAN VERSION – Richard Medhurst: “Io, giornalista arrestato per terrorismo”