Lawyer who represented Hamas in court says UK police falsely listed him as member of group
Summary
A lawyer who represented Hamas in a UK court was wrongly recorded by police as a member of Hamas when he was detained under terrorism laws. He is challenging this detention and the search of his phone, saying the police confused his role as a lawyer with being part of the banned group.Key Facts
- Fahad Ansari, a solicitor from Ireland, represented Hamas in a legal case about its banned status in the UK.
- When detained at Holyhead port in August 2025, police recorded him as a Hamas member on a risk form.
- The detective inspector later said this was a mistake and he meant to note Ansari worked as a solicitor for Hamas, not that he was a member.
- Ansari claims the stop was targeted to access his phone, which contained private lawyer-client information.
- The police and Home Office have not commented on the case as it is ongoing.
- Ansari was also stopped in June 2024 but was not questioned about Hamas or Palestine then.
- Complaints were made against Ansari after he filed the de-proscription application for Hamas in April 2025.
- The police chief and home secretary are defendants in the legal challenge alongside the police force.
Read the Full Article
This is a fact-based summary from The Actual News. Click below to read the complete story directly from the original source.