New breed of political prisoner arises in Britain as anti-protest sentences rise
Summary
A new report from Queen Mary University of London and the group Defend Our Juries shows that people protesting about climate change and Gaza are increasingly being sent to prison in Britain. The report says that longer jail sentences and stricter anti-protest laws are being used more often against these political protesters.Key Facts
- The report studied 286 cases where climate or Palestine-supporting protesters were jailed in England and Wales.
- Total jail time for these protesters adds up to 136 years, with an average of 28 weeks per case.
- About one-third of protesters were jailed for six months or more, and one-fifth for over a year.
- New laws and police powers have made it easier to imprison protesters.
- Many protesters are held in jail before trial, sometimes longer than normal limits.
- Some protesters were jailed for breaking court orders called civil injunctions, issued by private companies or public bodies to stop protests.
- The “Filton 24” case involved long pre-trial jail times connected to protests at an Israeli weapons factory.
- Judges say they make decisions independently based on evidence in each case.
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