Tommy Robinson Sentenced to 18 Months in Prison
British right-wing activist Tommy Robinson has been sentenced to prison for releasing a documentary that includes libelous accusations against a Syrian refugee. Read Full Article at RT.com.
TroibNews 
The activist and filmmaker is expected to be placed in solitary confinement for his own safety.
A British judge has sentenced right-wing activist Tommy Robinson to 18 months in prison for broadcasting a documentary that made libelous claims about a Syrian refugee. Robinson maintains that he was imprisoned for “speaking the truth.”
In 2018, Robinson alleged on social media that a Syrian student who had been assaulted at a school in Yorkshire had a history of attacking female students. The student subsequently sued Robinson for libel, resulting in a £100,000 damages award against him in 2021, as well as an injunction prohibiting him from repeating the allegations.
Robinson, whose legal name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, ignored this court order multiple times, asserting that he possessed evidence indicating the Syrian teenager had previously received a police caution for assault. During a significant breach of the order, he screened a documentary featuring these claims at a demonstration in London in July.
At a hearing on Monday at Woolwich Crown Court, Justice Johnson advised Robinson that “in a democratic society underpinned by the rule of law, court orders must be obeyed.” He emphasized that “Nobody is above the law. Nobody can pick or choose which laws or which injunctions they obey, or which they do not. Even if they believe that an injunction is... contrary to their views they must comply with the injunction.”
Robinson’s attorney, Sasha Wass, contended that Robinson felt it was necessary to share the documentary, claiming he uncovered evidence that school staff had been compensated to remain silent about the Syrian student’s history of violent behavior. “He acted in the way that he did, and he accepts his culpability because he passionately believes in free speech, a free press, and an overwhelming desire to expose the truth,” she asserted.
Asking for leniency, Wass highlighted that Robinson would likely need to be placed in solitary confinement for his protection while incarcerated. She noted that he had previously endured several periods in solitary, which resulted in “symptoms of trauma, nightmares, [and] depression,” referencing a medical report during her arguments.
Ultimately, Robinson received an 18-month sentence, with the possibility of parole after nine months, according to Justice Johnson. Throughout the hearing, neither the judge nor government prosecutors contested the factual accuracy of the documentary.
In a statement issued after the verdict, Robinson labeled himself a “political prisoner.” He remarked, “If I have to sit in jail for speaking the truth; Well I am just one of many people now that this government is imprisoning for things they say,” alluding to numerous Britons incarcerated for inflammatory remarks made on social media during unrest following the murder of three children by a British teenager of Rwandan descent in July.
Among these cases, a 61-year-old man who was sentenced to nearly three years for racially charged outbursts at police officers died in prison last week, reportedly by suicide.
On Saturday, thousands rallied in London to support Robinson. According to the Metropolitan Police, two individuals were arrested during the protest, while another two were detained at a left-wing counter-protest that took place nearby.
Rohan Mehta for TROIB News
A British judge has sentenced right-wing activist Tommy Robinson to 18 months in prison for broadcasting a documentary that made libelous claims about a Syrian refugee. Robinson maintains that he was imprisoned for “speaking the truth.”
In 2018, Robinson alleged on social media that a Syrian student who had been assaulted at a school in Yorkshire had a history of attacking female students. The student subsequently sued Robinson for libel, resulting in a £100,000 damages award against him in 2021, as well as an injunction prohibiting him from repeating the allegations.
Robinson, whose legal name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, ignored this court order multiple times, asserting that he possessed evidence indicating the Syrian teenager had previously received a police caution for assault. During a significant breach of the order, he screened a documentary featuring these claims at a demonstration in London in July.
At a hearing on Monday at Woolwich Crown Court, Justice Johnson advised Robinson that “in a democratic society underpinned by the rule of law, court orders must be obeyed.” He emphasized that “Nobody is above the law. Nobody can pick or choose which laws or which injunctions they obey, or which they do not. Even if they believe that an injunction is... contrary to their views they must comply with the injunction.”
Robinson’s attorney, Sasha Wass, contended that Robinson felt it was necessary to share the documentary, claiming he uncovered evidence that school staff had been compensated to remain silent about the Syrian student’s history of violent behavior. “He acted in the way that he did, and he accepts his culpability because he passionately believes in free speech, a free press, and an overwhelming desire to expose the truth,” she asserted.
Asking for leniency, Wass highlighted that Robinson would likely need to be placed in solitary confinement for his protection while incarcerated. She noted that he had previously endured several periods in solitary, which resulted in “symptoms of trauma, nightmares, [and] depression,” referencing a medical report during her arguments.
Ultimately, Robinson received an 18-month sentence, with the possibility of parole after nine months, according to Justice Johnson. Throughout the hearing, neither the judge nor government prosecutors contested the factual accuracy of the documentary.
In a statement issued after the verdict, Robinson labeled himself a “political prisoner.” He remarked, “If I have to sit in jail for speaking the truth; Well I am just one of many people now that this government is imprisoning for things they say,” alluding to numerous Britons incarcerated for inflammatory remarks made on social media during unrest following the murder of three children by a British teenager of Rwandan descent in July.
Among these cases, a 61-year-old man who was sentenced to nearly three years for racially charged outbursts at police officers died in prison last week, reportedly by suicide.
On Saturday, thousands rallied in London to support Robinson. According to the Metropolitan Police, two individuals were arrested during the protest, while another two were detained at a left-wing counter-protest that took place nearby.
Rohan Mehta for TROIB News
