Human Rights Watch criticized the verdicts against Ben Jamal and Chris Nineham, calling it a ‘political’ move to suppress dissent.
Published on 1 April 2026
Two civil society leaders have been found guilty of breaching protest guidelines in the United Kingdom during a pro-Palestine demonstration in London last year.
Ben Jamal, 62, director of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, and Chris Nineham, 63, vice president of the Stop the War Coalition, were charged on Wednesday with failing to march within a designated area set out by police during a mass protest on January 18, 2025.
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The decision comes as tensions rise between police and Britain’s key Palestinian solidarity movement – ​​and ahead of another march that could bring new tensions.
The pair were found guilty in a trial at Westminster Magistrates’ Court, and were accused of failing to comply with conditions which required them to remain in an area of ​​central London for protests and not to enter the vicinity of the British Broadcasting Corporation’s headquarters in Portland Place.
Jamal was also convicted on two counts of inciting other protesters to violate police conditions.
The Metropolitan Police also imposed conditions to prevent a pro-Palestine march from gathering near a synagogue in central London, citing safety concerns.
“Both defendants were clearly aware of the conditions given their organizing roles and involvement in planning the demonstration,” the judges read a summary of the trial.
“Mr Jamal’s speech was inciting: it was a suggestion, persuasion and inducement encouraging a breach of the terms,” ​​it said.
According to the PA news agency, the public gallery was filled with supporters of the defendants, including former Labor leader Jeremy Corbyn, as the judge read the verdict.
Reacting to the verdict, Jamal’s Palestine Solidarity Campaign said that “the fight is not over” despite the court’s “disgraceful decision”.
“Our right to protest is precious and it has been weakened by this decision, but the fight is not over,” X said in a brief statement.
Yasmine Ahmed, UK director of Human Rights Watch, said, “Today’s decision will shock civil society. I believe that targeting Ben and Chris, two prominent civil society leaders, is political and an attempt to intimidate and silence voices of dissent over the UK’s ongoing support for an Israeli government that is responsible for a list of international crimes.”
“Today’s decision highlights the sheer scale of the powers (the government) now wields to silence dissent through its dangerously repressive anti-protest laws. This decision is a black spot on British democracy and should shame a Prime Minister who made a career out of defending human rights.”
On April 11, crowds of protesters are expected to gather again in London to demonstrate their support for Palestine Action, a direct action group whose activists have been arrested and prosecuted in recent months.
To date, thousands of peaceful protesters have also been arrested for holding signs that read: “I oppose genocide, I support Palestine action”.
Thousands of Britons have rallied in support of Palestine since Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza began in October 2023.
Human Rights Watch said its research revealed “disproportionate targeting” of pro-Palestinian protesters, which “undermines the right to protest freely without fear of persecution”.
