I didn’t really volunteer to fight the British police state, it came after me. But here we are, and here I am, in Switzerland, seeking the protection of the United Nations. I still don’t actually know whether the terrorism investigation into me is focused on Palestine or on Wikileaks. It seems to be both and anything else they can get. My legal team is now active in Scotland seeking some kind of clarification and explanation, which will probably require a judicial review.
My experience of British airports being discouraging recently, I went by public transport from Edinburgh to Belfast. Arriving very late in Belfast due to the storm, I missed the last train to Dublin. Not wanting to stay in Belfast, I flagged down a taxi in the street and asked the driver to take me to Dublin. He did not wish to, so late at night. Then we realised we had worked in the same bar in Aviemore 45 years ago! I have always believed life is governed by forces we do not know.
We have sent a formal complaint to the UN about this bogus terrorism persecution, to add to the complaint about my imprisonment which is already under review.
Two quick points to add.
This is the third time since my imprisonment on an outrageous contempt of court finding, that I have been harassed and interviewed by the police. The first was over the leaking of Peter Murrell’s WhatsApp message to Sue Ruddick instructing her to put pressure on the police to act against Alex Salmond. The second was over Stewart MacDonald’s leaked emails. In neither of these incidents was I charged with any crime, nor could the police even tell me what offence they were investigating. And now this “terrorism” utter nonsense.
The second point is that the abuse of special anti-terrorism powers at ports in order to seize all papers and communications of journalists is becoming commonplace. Three other journalists I know personally – Vanessa Beeley, Kit Klarenberg and Johanna Ross – have suffered this. There are many other examples, most notably David Miranda. This really is police state stuff, yet there is an extraordinary lack of outrage from human rights organisations and the mainstream media.
So I now have this new fight. Or I should say we now have this new fight, because the fight can only happen at all with financial support from the amazing readers of this blog. You have seen me through so much, and I am very grateful.
But I honestly do believe that the fight is not for me, it is for freedom from an ever encroaching police state and from a political class trying to enforce a monopoly of information to the public.
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Donated.
You have great courage Craig; time for others to show some too now.
This follows on from the treatment of the Basque separatists in Catalonia, the bludgeoning of people objecting to enforced lockdowns during the scamdemic, the abominable treatment of Julian Assange ad infinitum, ad nauseum. The mask has come off, the jackboot has replaced civilised behaviour. Time for tumbrils in the street.
Possibly some confusion here? The Basque country and Catalonia are not only different, but not even adjacent – they’re on opposite sides of Spain (the Basque country’s coast is on the Bay of Biscay, Catalonia’s coast is on the Mediterranean).
How common are these type of stop and search fishing expeditions, are they exempt from F.O.I. requests?
Apart from those quoted above, has the MSM had any apparatchiks detained, or are the states police selective?
I’m also wondering how the use of burner phones, Cloud storage, having others carry sim cards for you, works under these laws?
Does anybody know of blogs that discuss the differences between evading the law and avoiding the law?
This is all very spooky…_
You might find this interesting:
Home Office: “Review of the Operation of Schedule 7: A public consultation” – pdf
They try to play down the number by quoting it as ‘less than 3 in 10,000’ but given the number of border crossings there are, UK citizens make 50 million foreign trips every year to which add foreign visitors coming here, the number is clearly significant. More interesting is the tiny number of actual charges, 20, and the even smaller number of convictions; 7.
Unbelievably the two racist cops who were sacked over the stop and search of Bianca Williams and her partner have had £50,000 crowd funded for them. It seems some people approve.
Pears,
You only have to scan the MSM comments sections to realise there’s potentially millions who approve.
Scary indeed.
” You only have to scan the MSM comments sections ”
I gave that up a while ago. Bad for the brain.
Nobody in a supposedly free society should have to put up with what you are experiencing on all our behalf. Good luck with your campaign that hopefully will rid us of these terrible people. I hope my donation will help.
If anyone supposes the UK to be a free society then that is their mistake. Actually it has never been, but recently the powers that be have stopped caring about concealment.
All the very best with this Craig.
Wonga winging its way, in the near future.
Good luck Craig, with all my support
Is it possible the joining a protest in support of the “terrorist organisation Hamas”, is being used as a pretext for them to have a peek at your Julian Assange files and what you have been up to, who you have been speaking to re. that?
They don’t need to physically have your tech to remotely download all contents.
Yes, I suspect that quite strongly.
Been that way for over 25 years,therefore you have to assume what they’re doing to you is just to harass and scare you.
So sorry you and your family are suffering this,stay strong.
Oh for god’s sake! There are stories going around and I’m sure they are true that Hamas is funded by the Israelis, Terrorists indeed. The terrorists are the Israeli govt. I’m taking a note out of President Putin’s book when he says he always concentrates on governments not the people, i.e. US govt not the US people, on the grounds that the govts are the perpetrators of the problems and the people have little say. However, I’m not entirely sure that is true of the Israeli people.
The Israeli people have little real say because their government lies to them, just as our government lies to us. Most Israelis don’t really know what goes on in the occupied West Bank. Google for Miko Peled, he’s an Israeli born in Israel who cut through the mass-media smokescreen and actually investigated what was happening on the ground. Very well-informed, worth following by anyone interested in understanding modern Israel.
Israelis know exactly what goes on in the West Bank and have no more objection to it than Sunak and Starmer do.
This is simply false, and a slur on Israelis and the Israeli press. For example, the Israeli newspaper with the 3rd-largest circulation, Haaretz, regularly publishes articles objecting to the awful actions of the Netanyahu government. It’s more balanced on the Israel/Palestine issue than the British press is (not that that is saying much, of course).
https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2023-10-27/ty-article/.premium/wait-for-the-great-nakba-palestinians-find-threatening-leaflets-on-cars-in-west-bank/0000018b-72aa-d1da-a1bb-7fba5a020000
The rest of the Israel mass media is about as bad as ours.
You would quickly find out how understanding Haaretz readers are if you suggested they vacate the houses they stole from Palestinians and return to the USA and Europe.
I really do wish our host would stop pissing about with the UN (which is, of course, the same UN that can’t even prevent several of its own premises from being destroyed and scores of its employees from being killed by a rogue member state) and wasting his loyal subscribers’ funds on ****wit lawyers* (assuming that their work isn’t pro bono).
Forget ‘international law’: it is illegal under UK law to question someone against their will and confiscate their property under Schedule 7 of the Terrorism Act 2000 without first having reasonable suspicion that that person is concerned in the preparation or instigation of ‘terrorist acts’ as defined in paragraph 1 of the act (expressing support for a proscribed terrorist organisation does not constitute a ‘terrorist act’). That’s where he should start.
* The suffix ‘Esq.’ is redundant if a title, such as Mr, has already been given. People used to learn that in bog-standard grammar schools.
That’s your opinion. I think you should respect Craig’s decisions and motives, especially as he clearly has his own access to legal expertise. I am sure there are far more aspects to it which he is not at liberty to disclose.
I know it sounds astonishing, but I believe Schedule 7 specifically states that the police do not need any reasonable grounds of suspicion.
The UK legal team is pursuing the legality of the schedule 7 stop. But I am rather jaundiced about the UK police and justice system.
Thanks for your reply Boss. I’ve had another look at the Schedule, and it would seem that, unfortunately, you’re right, as the following seems to have been added by the Nationality & Borders Act 2022.
‘An examining officer may exercise his powers under this paragraph whether or not he has grounds for suspecting that a person falls within section 40(1)(b).’
My bad. But Wow! – not sure that your UK legal team, or even the best lawyers in the world, can do anything about that. Fascism, here we come. Let’s hope they don’t come for you over your Hamas & Hezbollan tweet. One thing’s for sure though: having your lawyers to write letters about ‘human rights’ and ‘fundamental freedoms’ to UN Special Rapporteurs isn’t going to make a blind bit of difference. Anyway, you could get people on here to do that for you for free.
Take care.
In your two comments you don’t suggest what Mr Murray might do or think, only what he shouldn’t do or think. In the man’s defence, he was privy to information we do not have, due to his former career. So, might there be a few things you can’t consider due to your ignorance concerning this information. In my opinion, it is rare when a person faces a crisis that they should do nothing. In the vast majority of cases, action is to be preferred. So, if you say it is pointless, what should he do? This man has a plan, it may prove to be of no use but he is attempting to carry out this plan, shouldn’t we support this? Should not we recognise a worse future awaits us if despair holds sway over our thoughts? In the fullness of time most things become clear, it is then that judgement should be exercised to supply final words. We are not there yet.
“My bad. But Wow!….. Fascism, here we come. ”
The descent into fascism is a process not an event. We have been on this road since the election in 1979 brought M Thatcher and her small coterie of fanatical ideologues to power, to serve the interests of extreme wealth. The only question asked by these carpetbaggers when considering state appointments or political actors, was “Is he one of us?”. Which maybe explains the protection of all those sexual criminals like Janner, Saville, Smith etc., etc. The possessors of extreme wealth have seen their wealth grow, year in, year out, since 1979, over and above all other sections of our society.
M Thatcher’s big hero, was General Augustus Pinochet – a mass serial killer who seized power in a bloody coup in Chile in 1973, orchestrated and backed, of course, by the CIA. He immediately implemented the “Chicago Shock Doctrine”, the same economic program that America and Britain would implement with the advent of Reagan and Thatcher a decade later. He would murder many thousands and incarcerate and torture many tens of thousands of his political opponents, all to allow the extremely wealthy to prosper over all other economic actors. He made Chile a test-bed for modern oligarchy. and the West copied his economic policies slavishly, which today are known as Neo-Liberalism.
For me, Fascism became actual when the West announced the Enhanced Interrogation and Extraordinary Rendition policies. Then Abu Gharib told us what sort of shit we were in and what sort of people we are. I saw a documentary about the “Wolf Brigade”, an American sponsored death squad in Iraq…. They were using power tools to torture people as well as the humdrum older methods of rape, waterboarding, electrocution and physical and mental violation. For people they didn’t like or for “special” customers they had a powerful DeWalt cordless, with a three foot steel masonry bit attached. This specialised equipment allowed them to drill down deep into the nitty-gritty and examine the “facts”, in all their gory minutiae. It’s operators claimed it always yielded a successful “interrogation”.
Thanks for your reply Will. What I think our host should do at the moment is save his cash for potentially large legal fees that might arise should he be charged under section 12 of the Terrorism Act 2000 for expressing support for proscribed organisations in his ill-advised ‘Hamas & Hezbollah’ tweet, which could result in serious jail time.
Thatcher left office over 30 years ago. During her premiership, the Provisional IRA was still in the process of murdering over 1700 UK citizens (over 500 of whom were not members of the British Army, RUC or the security services – and many of whom were Catholics). However, it was still legal to be a member of its political wing Sinn Fein, express support for them in public and encourage people to vote for them. In addition, any of their elected MPs had the right to sit in parliament, had they so wished, and take part in the creation of UK law.
“Thatcher left office over 30 years ago”
And, what of it? Recently, I was told about an event that happened 14.9 billion years ago, called the “Big Bang”. Even though this supposed “Big Bang” occurred a while ago, it is, apparently, still of some causal significance to this thoroughly modern world that we inhabit. I suppose you will say, because it happened more than 30 years ago, that it is not causally significant?
My history lesson was an attempt to indicate that the “Chicago Shock Doctrine” or Neo-Liberalism, was just shorthand for making those who hold extreme wealth, wealthier still. Major, Blair, Brown, Cameron, May, Johnson etc. have just carried out the same policies as Thatcher and this is what it means, when the West talks about “exporting democracy” – no more than an attempt to impose the same economic structure on the target country.
And as for Ireland, dear old Ireland, I will not discuss this unless you have followed the “stakeknife” (‘Stakeknife’ – a British asset operating at the top of the hierarchy of the IRA for a significant length of time). The history of “The Troubles” is being written right now with new data and a radically different perspective from the off-pat morality tale you seem to have picked up somewhere. It is not flattering for Britain and – like all other recent, reliable, history concerning this country and its policies – indicates Britain needs political reform.
Thanks for your reply Will. I think it was I who mentioned the Big Bang (which happened 13.8 billion years ago) in a previous comment section. Going by your logic, can we say that Anthony Eden’s premiership was ‘causally significant’ in the passage of the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991?
I’m reasonably familiar with ‘Stakeknife’ and the ‘Nutting Squad’, but they were responsible for fewer than 100 murders. How is describing what the Provisional IRA did an ‘off-pat morality tale’? The pre-meditated killing of human beings in the UK outside of war is murder.
“Thatcher left office over 30 years ago”
So if your statement isnt about time, in what context should I view it? If the policies had changed it would be a fair point. I contend they haven’t ergo mentioning time is an irrelevancy.
The James Webb telescope operation are now saying that the correct date is 26 billion years old or whatever, one can’t rely on anything nowadays.
After our convo about Saville you got me thinking. that the security services can evade prosecution in the modern state? Do you think Saville was a security asset? And if so domestic or foreign. Maybe the “evil commies” were responsible for him?.
“However, it was still legal to be a member of its political wing Sinn Fein, ”
There speaks the Establishment propagandist. Sinn Fein was founded in 1905, the earliest incarnation of the IRA was ten years later, so in fact, if one is a wing of the other, which is not necessarily the case as evidenced by one being banned and the other not, it is the opposite way around.
Nice try though.
Deductive reasoning suggests what remains then is unreasonable grounds for suspicion
My perspective, FWIW:
Politics and big business, let alone ‘international banking’ are branches of organised crime. 2020-23’s events made this crystal clear to those who ‘woke up’. Anyone can also read up the details of the H1N1 2009 scandal – WHO *didn’t* get away with that one unlike ‘COVID-19’.
Constitutionally guaranteed legal rights seem to have been eclipsed by ‘might is right’. Detaining people without reasonable cause is akin to Berlin in the 1930s. Totally alien to England (and I expect Scotland despite a different legal system).
Anything tyrants do, they’ll justify by one ‘law’ or another. It’s standard. People need to spot that ‘might is right’ is unconstitutional and some recent laws may themselves be illegal, having been passed only because a cabal decided it could get away with it. Indeed, the infamous Prof. N. Ferguson said that about lockdown.
However, violence does no good. It needs passive resistance, mass refusal to cooperate, just saying no. So keep up the good work.
I would have used other words, but I too think that this could never become a legal victory. Even if someone at the UN were willing to vote or act in favour of Mr Murray, that wouldn’t translate to any such action in the UK.
Several years ago, I commented here that the obvious lie of the law applying equally to everyone will necessarily mean that change can only come about violently, because all other paths are blocked.
The farce that was Craig’s own trial and ruling, and the show-trial of Julian, should have made it clear that our rulers have stopped pretending that justice is a real thing.
I understand that our host would like to restore his own faith in the legal system, but I do not see that happening.
Thanks for your reply Christoph. I probably should have been more temperate in my language (they’re smart enough to take our host’s cash, after all!), but it irks me how much of his benefactors’ money (including a little bit of mine) has been spent on lawyers who couldn’t even keep him out of jail for a relatively minor offence.
I’m not sure I agree with your premise that meaningful political change in the UK can only come about by violent means though. It’s worth bearing in mind that the rapidly expanding Muslim vote, which has traditionally been very loyal to Labour, will probably hold the balance of power in UK elections before too long.
So what?!
So the Muslims won’t support Starmer, praise be to Allah. However, does that mean that they will switch their allegiance to the Tories? We’ve had 13-odd years of these bastards, and look at the state the country is in. The Uniparty wins whatever the results. The only honest and sensible option is to not vote. There is no choice for the voters other than: who do you want to be screwed by?
Thanks for your reply Stevie.
‘does that mean that [Muslims] will switch their allegiance to the Tories?’
If the Tories are prepared to give them some of what they want, then yeah. Look at the outsized impact older, white traditional Labour voters in northern England and the Midlands have had on recent elections – particularly the last one. Around 10, 15 years ago the Union Jack was poison in mainstream English politics (it was firmly the preserve of the BNP). Now it’s everywhere. (Even though, as I stated above, I don’t think that there will be much in the way of political violence in the UK in the near future, I think it’s also worth bearing in mind that, per capita, British Muslims have more full-auto assault rifles than older, white, traditional Labour voters.)
Blighted North and Midlands finally getting what they wanted … Union Jacks everywhere?
“I understand that our host would like to restore his own faith in the legal system, but I do not see that happening.”
It might be a useful exercise in public education though.
” The Uniparty wins whatever the results. The only honest and sensible option is to not vote. There is no choice for the voters other than: who do you want to be screwed by?”
There may be a non-uniparty candidate along the lines of the Monster Raving Loonies to vote for and doing so would help to signal your discontent with the uni-party. You’ll have to watch out for false flags though. I reckon a fake radical party will be created soon, something like a left wing UKIP.
“it’s also worth bearing in mind that, per capita, British Muslims have more full-auto assault rifles than older, white, traditional Labour voters.”
Any evidence of this statement ? Sounds more like right wing propaganda than truth !
Thanks for your reply Brian. I was referring to Union Jacks being everywhere in mainstream UK politics. Most white, former Labour voters over the age of 60 in the North/Midlands aren’t doing too badly for themselves at the moment, provided they’re in reasonable health: mortgage paid off several years ago, final-salary pension, triple-lock state pension etc, etc. They’re not hugely concerned about decaying high streets and the like, as they rarely venture into town much these days anyway. When I was a kid, town was always full of old people – not any more.
——–
Thanks for your reply Stevie. Almost all of the guns held by older, white, traditional Labour voters in northern England/the Midlands will be legal (i.e. no assault rifles). Amongst the British-Pakistani community, that’s not always the case. Worth noting that knowing people with access to assault rifles certainly didn’t do Gerry Adams’s political career any harm. If you want to find out more about the shit that goes on in West Yorkshire backwaters (let alone in its big, bad cities of Leeds & Bradford), you could do worse than watch Mobeen Azhar’s fairly recent Beeb documentary*:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episodes/p07bn33z/hometown
I’m glad I don’t live round there any more. On balance.
* Whatever people on here might tell you, the Beeb isn’t really right-wing propaganda.
Every empirical study there has been of BBC news, political and current affairs output has concluded it is right-wing propaganda. Do u think nobody is aware of that?
Thanks for your reply Xavi. I’ve lived long enough not to believe everything I read in a scientific paper, let alone an ’empirical study’.
By the way, the reason that there’s so much support for Palestine in the UK at the moment – with around 80% of the population, including over 65s, wanting a ceasefire – is not because most people are reading Jonathan Cook’s blogs, tuning in to Galloway on his ‘Mother of all Talk Shows’, or following Lowkey on TwitterX; it’s because they’re seeing dead and injured Palestinian kids on Beeb News (and to a lesser extent on ITV News & Sky).
If it’s right-wing propaganda you’re after, try GB News or Talk TV.
It’s got nothing to do with how long somebody’s been around. The facts are the facts. The last major independent content analysis of BBC news, political and economics coverage was commissioned by the BBC Trust itself, a Cardiff University study called Hard Evidence. It found overwhelming right-wing bias across the board. The same conclusion that has always been reached whenever the evidence is assessed independently.
As for the suggestion it retains huge public trust, YouGov polling this summer showed less than 40% of British adults trust BBC news. Just one small group still overwhelmingly believes the establishment line that BBC news is trustworthy and balanced – centrist Lib Dem supporters. It is very characteristic of their belief system in general.
” Almost all of the guns held by older, white, traditional Labour voters in northern England/the Midlands will be legal (i.e. no assault rifles). Amongst the British-Pakistani community, that’s not always the case.”
So you’re just making up this shit to support your racist views ? Go join GB News.
Thanks for your reply Xavi. You’re not talking about facts; you’re talking about subjective opinions. To state that the melting point of pure gallium at standard pressure is 29.8 degrees Celsius is to state a fact; whereas to state that the BBC is right-wing is to state an opinion. I don’t care what people at UK universities say – there’s enough shite comes out of those in what used to be called the hard sciences (and there’d be a bit more if it wasn’t for me*). Less than 40% of the UK population trusting BBC News has no bearing on whether it’s right-wing, left-wing or anything in between.
* I’ve been spending much of the week re-assigning nuclear Overhauser spectra from years ago that weren’t done right by some idiot or other – which, if you weren’t aware, is fairly tedious.
Thanks for your reply Stevie. I’m not sure what you’re on about though. Quite a few British-Pakistanis own assault rifles and they often get them from the same places they get the heroin. A lot of people in the US also own assault rifles (including Democrat & even Green voters). I’m not racist towards Americans – and I’m not racist towards British-Pakistanis either. (If anything, I’m racist towards native British people – and I hardly ever watch GBeebies as Jobby calls it).
“it’s also worth bearing in mind that, per capita, British Muslims have more full-auto assault rifles than older, white, traditional Labour voters.”
SB, you have to remember that LA’s statement is true if the Muslims have even one full-auto assault rifle, if it is the case that the traditional white Labour voters have none. Masterly use of the comparative there, LA.
Thanks for your reply Bayard and for the compliment, but see my reply to you on the next thread.
Mr Murray has already had more than enough personal experience of the British judiciary’s disregard for the law of this country. It’s worth giving foreigners a try.
Thanks for your reply Tom. Remember what happened the last time our host tried the ‘foreigners’? If you don’t, I can tell you that they took all of five lines to dismiss his submission:
https://www.craigmurray.org.uk/archives/2022/11/strasbourg-cul-de-sac/
Hmmm. Damned if you, damned if you don’t. “Put not thy trust in bureaucrats” – and the UK, the EU, the UN, the USA and most other countries are now ruled by bureaucrats.
Thanks for your reply Tom. As far as lawyers go, being ‘damned if you don’t’ at least tends to cost less.* After I finish going through this batch of tedious nuclear Overhauser spectra, I’ll be starting on the Buckfast spritzers earlier than usual, because I was wrong earlier and I don’t like being wrong. Still, at least I’m not charging our host £200 an hour or whatever for my legal advice – so there is that.
Enjoy the weekend.
* See Wings vs Kezia Dugdale
you spelled communists wrong
these bureaucrats aren’t communists. Will Moon’s comment above provides a better description of their lords and masters. they are all in service of the elites in the UK and elsewhere, and those elites have a lot of money. they are not interested in giving up that money. they want to protect it.
“But I honestly do believe that the fight is not for me, it is for freedom from an ever encroaching police state and from a political class trying to enforce a monopoly of information to the public.”
Never a truer word.
All best Mr Murray.
I refer you to my comment under your previous post, Craig. You are one of only two journalists actually working in the United Kingdom, the other being Julian Assange. It says everything that one of the two is in jail, and the state is shifting might and main to put the other one there, too. You are to be commended.
Peter Oborne is sometimes worth reading. He writes for a variety of outlets, e.g. https://www.middleeasteye.net/users/peter-oborne .
There are probably others but it’s not easy to find them.
I’ve donated a small sum, Craig. I don’t know how you managed to push forward against these odds and I admire your perseverance. We’re right behind you.
Best wishes for a good outcome in all these trials.
Ian
I take it that you are wise enough to commit nothing that matters to paper or something electronic? I’ve managed to scrape up a tenner for your fighting fund. The filth won’t be able to stop me at an airport because I don’t have a passport.
It’s not just Wikileaks/Julian, Palestine. It’s everything you’ve done eg Scotland’s independence, how your diplomatic career ended, all kinds of human rights issues, your blog. They’re just harassing because they can – ups their stop and search statistics, and they’re frightened of you. They should be frightened of all of us. Try to enjoy Switzerland if you can.
They are frightened of his ex-ambassador credibility.
The biggest threat to any system is from ‘insiders’ who break ranks; people who’ve seen the wiring under the board and know how govts really operate. Those who know what these ambitious men are capable of, and how jaws would drop among the citizenry if all were made public. This, as opposed to the facade they present to the electorate. The West is a system run by quite a few war criminals, who’ve got enough dirt on each other, to just about hold things together on the basis of rewarding themselves incredible wealth and the alternative being mutually assured destruction.
It’s a telling state of affairs that you are the one they keep on targeting in a country notorious for having the worst press on earth. No country’s press is more characterised by such deeply unpleasant, hate filled, dishonest, war hungry individuals. People who make the world a worse place every time they are published. Far from being harrassed by the state, these individuals are exalted and invited to spout their bile on the BBC, Sky etc. I have rarely seen them expose their essence more clearly than in the current moment, spitting poison at the portion of the public appalled by their genocidal glee. The politicians too are angrily hitting out at any pro-Palestine humanity. Unfortunately your steadfast bravery has put you in their sights. The Britain they want has no tolerance for people like you.
Small donation made.
Keep up the fight.
I hope Craig’s blog is hosted on a server outside the UK. It’s important his journalism cannot be silenced.
It appears to be hosted on a server belonging to Cloudflare , Inc and is in the USA.
I assume he has a backup of all his writing. If that server gets shut down, it takes only a few minutes to rent space on another server from another company in another country. Setting up the website, changing the DNS mapping, uploading the backup, etc is tedious (there are a lot of little things to do) but shouldn’t take more than an hour.
Lack of outrage due to lack of reporting due to chilling effect due to the state’s successful attempts to prevent the press from reporting anything it doesn’t like..
Donated. This is shocking and unless it addressed soon it will be too late. Everyone must see and understand that this affects everyone. The public are sleep-walking into a fascist police state. By the time we awake, it’ll be too late. Don’t let them win by default through our apathy.
How strange it has become, that Edward Snowden evidently is freer in Moscow than a retired British Civil servant in Edinburgh.
Actually not. Russia is now a freer and far more law-abiding country than the UK.
“Russia is now a freer and far more law-abiding country than the UK.”
When you say law-abiding, are you referring to the state or the citizens, or both?
It was long rumoured that Assange had distributed an encrypted, highly classified cache, for which the decryption key would be released upon either his death or extradition. A so-called Dead man’s switch – apologies for that.
The rumours may be complete BS, I certainly don’t know. But authorities probably take them very seriously, hence why they are hounding you as a close confidant of Assange, perhaps?
It could explain why your laptops keep going walkabout, even in Germany.
“At Dortmund I had to give up. A second laptop in five days had been stolen from me.”
Though, thinking about this logically. I believe Iceland has among the strongest data protection laws in the world, along with Switzerland. The country is known for protecting investigative journalists and whistleblowers. So, if such a thing actually existed, there’d be no safer place to keep it.
I would be very surprised if anyone other than a highly trained specialist lawyer can make head or tail of the very hacked about piece of legislation that is the Terrorist Act 2000 and its several Schedules.
https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2000/11/section/1
My non lawyer understanding is that Schedules are there to bulk up or detail paragraphs that appear in the main chapters. So to be detained under a Schedule seems odd. Schedule 7 describes the circumstances under which a person can be detained at different points of entry to the UK. The actual reasons for detaining someone seem to be described in Schedule 5 but I cannot see anything that suggests a person can be detained unless he / she is at least suspected of committing, conspiring with, aiding and abetting an act of terrorism.
How police get their authority to detain someone or how they are allowed to get intelligence of a suspect’s travel plans is far from clear.
another weird thing is how someone being detained has far fewer rights than someone being arrested.
I have no legal training or qualifications, but simple logic is enough to see something very dangerous here. “… I cannot see anything that suggests a person can be detained unless he / she is at least suspected of committing, conspiring with, aiding and abetting an act of terrorism”.
The words “is suspected” leap out at one. That passive voice again! Who is doing this “suspecting”? And is there any limitation of what a given official may choose to suspect?
A policeman, civil servant, or spook may choose to claim that he “suspects” Mr Murray of something bad. How could anyone possible prove that he is lying? How can anyone know what he suspects? Any of us can say that he “suspects” anyone at all of anything at all.
You might be surprised to learn what I suspect of some people.
Tom, the legislation is clear unfortunately here..
Counter-Terrorism and Border Security Act 2019
1 Expressions of support for a proscribed organisation
In section 12 of the Terrorism Act 2000 (support), after subsection (1) insert—
“(1A) A person commits an offence if the person—
(a) Expresses an opinion or belief that is supportive of a proscribed organisation, and
(b) In doing so is reckless as to whether a person to whom the expression is directed will be encouraged to support a proscribed organisation.” https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2019/3/section/1/enacted
Both Hezbollah and Hamas are proscribed organisations. I think they are legitimate resistance movements acting as defenders/liberators of there respective peoples as allowed under international law. The UK government disagree and has enacted this legislation. I think the penalty has been increased to 15 years in prison,
Re: ‘The actual reasons for detaining someone seem to be described in Schedule 5 but I cannot see anything that suggests a person can be detained unless he / she is at least suspected of committing, conspiring with, aiding and abetting an act of terrorism.’
That’s what I thought, Crispa, until I read Schedule 7 (which applies to airports) again – specifically this:
‘An examining officer may exercise his powers under this paragraph whether *or not* he has grounds for suspecting that a person falls within section 40(1)(b).’ [my emphasis]
It doesn’t appear as if the bizzies need any grounds at all to question you under the act. The thing is our host wasn’t technically ‘detained’ – he was just stopped and questioned for an hour and his stuff confiscated – but if he had refused to co-operate, he would have been committing a criminal offence punishable by up to three months in prison and/or a £2500 fine, and could then have been arrested. It’s ****ing mad, if you ask me.
Police here use ‘voluntary interrogation’ to ‘ask a few simple questions’ which they do followed by calculated and subtle interjections to enlist an unsolicited reply.
Thanks for your reply Mark. Unfortunately, there doesn’t seem to be anything ‘voluntary’ about it. I also doubt whether, unlike for people who are actually under arrest, these interrogations have to be recorded or what’s said written down by a qualified officer.
Given that you can only be detained for an hour, what is to stop you making an unsolicited reply in great and largely irrelevant detail?
Thanks for your reply Bayard. I suspect that if you try to filibuster, like Strom Thormond did in the Civil Rights debates of 1957*, the interrogating officer will just cut you off, and ask another question, and if you don’t answer that appropriately will just arrest you refusing to cooperate.
* Ol’ Strom’s record still stands. Fun Fact: Biden read the eulogy at his funeral in 2003.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strom_Thurmond_filibuster_of_the_Civil_Rights_Act_of_1957
I am unfortunately unable to support you with a donation, but rest assured, you are certainly my favourite terrorist!
I should think the wheels of justice turn slowly Craig, if they’re not now completely rusted solid. I hope you do not feel compelled to stay in Switzerland until this letter has had a reply. Could you return to Scotland even if it means a bit more harassment at the airport, so you can at least continue your work?
It’s not really the UN process I am waiting for, Jon. Aamer Anwar in Scotland is trying to find out what the “terrorism investigation” is actually about.
I hope that process is speedy, and that the Assange planning work is not harmed. I’ve sent a donation to top up the coffers.
Subscribed
If you are actually (physically, rather than just legally) here in Switzerland at the UN HQ, can I buy you a pint (or two)? Sounds like you need it!
Many innocent people have been jailed using the 2000 terrorism act most of them Muslim.
This was done to with great publicity to create in the mind of the public that there were all these terrorists plotting to harm us. This did not succeed in creating the mass hate for Muslims in this tolerant country.
It was used to justify the illegal wars and get more funding and powers for the security forces.
The new crime bill gives powers to break the law that were reserved for the security services to many organisations including the police. In truth just legalising something that was already taking place.
Judges are free to break any rule they wish that is why they wish to get rid of the jury.
I wish Craig well he clearly has more access to legal methods than most.
If he can not raise or afford legal council he might consider defending himself.
I am reminded of the case of John Hill there was a case where four men were charged with helping those who allegedly committed the London bombings in 2005. During the selection of the Jury and at the trial the jury were told that the accused helped Hasib Hussain, Germaine Lindsay, Shehzad Tanweer and Mohammad Sidique Khan who we know committed the 2005 bombing. John Hill knew these was a lie as the guilt of those accused had not been established by trial or independent investigation. John Hill had mad a DVD containing his own opinion of what happened. So he sent a copy to the judge and the foreman via the court.
John Hill was living in Ireland he was arrested for trying to pervert the course of justice a serious charge with a long possible sentence. A international arrest warrant was used to extradite him to England. Where he was kept in jail and denied bail for a long time. But during his trial he defended himself and was found not guilty by the jury despite the bias Judge instructions.
Those accused of helping the alleged London bombers were also found not guilty but two were given long sentences anyway for allegedly planning to attend terrorist training camps.
If it’s that emotionally charged single ‘tweet’ that’s responsible, then that’s an absurdly low threshold.
No law should be abused to play ‘gotcha!’ against those critical of UK foreign policy. CM expressed support for acts of resistance, not support for the group(s) per se. The legislation was intended to be used against those with a pattern of promoting and disseminating terrorist propaganda. Those radicalising others into potential domestic acts of terrorism.
‘Ludicrous diversion’ a statement directed to TB to enforce the London bombing official report by the security services?!
It is within the 7/7 circus where we obtain important insight into the UK controlling hierarchy.
The innocent citizens of Gaza are being subjected to horrendous war crimes are being starved to death in an ongoing Genocide, children are being operated on having their limbs removed without aesthetic because there is none, yet the UK government are pursuing individuals who resist this Genocide. I have this much to say to the enablers of this legislation: GO FUCK YOURSELVES.
The court´s response to the complaint could be highly significant.
Yesterday a German internal paper was leaked regarding the German Public Broadcasting System (=German BBC).
On 44 densely written pages management outlines in great detail guidelines as to what to think and how to report about the Palestine/Israel conflict.
Unlike the Springer Press conduct, it is far more nuanced and far more influential.
Since the vastness of information will leave 90% of the staff (in fact thousands of people) overwhelmed.
While with Springer everyone will know what to think before, this is way different.
It’s how propaganda systems work most smoothly.
It is in German but I will post the link here for those interested:
https://www.nachdenkseiten.de/upload/pdf/231027-Glossar_Berichterstattun-gNahostkonflikt.pdf
I haven´t worked through all of it. But there is no serious discussion on the fact that international organisations have described Israel as an Apartheid State (this is instead being heavily doubted).
No discussion of the UN-SC´s rulings since 1970.
The UN GA´s condemnations for war crimes and crimes against humanity.
No discussion of the internal controversial Knesset debates and the fact that Israel per “Nation State Law” is de facto Jewish and therefore racist as nation state.
A state for Jews only built on land taken away from others, as demanded already 120+ years ago.
Same goes for the history of Zionism.
In fact the very cause of all this is in essence completely omitted in the entire paper.
The racist nature and idea of how to create a Jewish state. An what it would mean.
I assume the people who have drafted these guidelines are not even really aware of some of the more serious writings and statements of pre-1948 that have extensively been talked about on this blog especially since Oct. 7th.
But if one takes the time to go through it it becomes pretty clear why Germany is acting publicly as it does.
It’s actually highly scandalous and disconcerting.
In the light of such a document, a positive response to the above complaint would be most urgent to any viable and truly democratic society that pays – to its high held principles of freedom of speech, assembly et al. – more than cynical lip service.
The UN judges seem to be decent and brave people. Mr Türk the only one known to me from articles might be the most conservative one. But I trust his judgement and understanding of how important this is.
20 years ago, my revulsion over government lies and the lurch towards illegal war compelled me to travel to London and join the Stop the War protest. I was disabled and waiting for a replacement hip operation, so armed with my blue badge and my pushbike I was able to cover an enormous amount of ground seeing for myself the vast scale of popular dissent that was notoriously toned down by the MSM. Of course, events took their inevitable course and the retrospective ‘We told you so’ is little consolation for the ensuing devastation, but at least I was able to take heart at the sheer volume of empathy on display and the fact that protest is good for one’s mental health. As I write, London is being magnificent in showing its disgust over current events. I shall be on the streets of Bristol tomorrow wearing my kuffiya, protesting for Palestine’s right to self-defence against the atrocities of the neo-fascist Israeli government.
Horrific events over the last two decades have fractured beyond repair the notion that this State stands for decency and justice, confirmed by my active revision of British colonial history, current government repression and not least by the reportage of a very brave few who dare to raise their heads above the parapet. Craig is being harried, denigrated and attacked on many fronts precisely because of his fearless exposure of state crime and championing of the truth, all power to his pen and his persistence!
Although I subsist on a meagre pension, I am proud to be one of the 0.2% regularly supporting this blog. Dig deep folks, Mony a mickle mak’s a muckle!
Hi Craig, I’m based in Zurich, Switzerland. If there is anything whatsoever that I can do I’ll do it. Please reach out with a list of anything that you may need and I’ll go through it. All the very best!