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Ben Jamal, director of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, and Chris Nineham, vice‑chair of the Stop the War Coalition, were each convicted on Wednesday for breaching conditions set by the Metropolitan Police during a large‑scale pro‑Palestine rally on 18 January 2025. The court found they failed to keep the march within a police‑designated zone in central London and, in Jamal’s case, actively encouraged other demonstrators to do the same. The trial, held at Westminster Magistrates’ Court, concluded that both men were fully aware of the restrictions, given their leadership roles in planning the event. The judges noted that Jamal’s remarks amounted to “incitement” because they urged participants to disregard the stipulated boundaries, including the area surrounding the BBC headquarters on Portland Place. Supporters packed the public gallery, with former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn among those present as the verdict was read, according to the PA news agency. In response, the Palestine Solidarity Campaign described the ruling as a “disgraceful decision” and asserted that “the fight is not over.” The statement, posted on X, warned that the judgment undermines the fundamental right to protest. Human Rights Watch UK director Yasmine Ahmed condemned the outcome, calling it a “black mark on British democracy” and suggesting the verdict is part of a broader governmental effort to silence dissent against Israel’s actions in Gaza. The conviction arrives amid mounting tension between law‑enforcement agencies and the UK’s sizable Palestine solidarity movement. Since the conflict in Gaza escalated in October 2023, tens of thousands of Britons have taken to the streets, and thousands of peaceful demonstrators have been arrested for displaying slogans such as “I oppose genocide, I support Palestine Action.” Human Rights Watch’s research highlights a “disproportionate targeting” of pro‑Palestine activists, arguing that the current anti‑protest legislation threatens the ability to protest without fear of harassment. Activists are already gearing up for another large gathering scheduled for 11 April, when supporters of the direct‑action group Palestine Action plan to demonstrate again in London, despite recent arrests and ongoing legal pressure. Overall, the verdict underscores a growing debate over the balance between public order and civil liberties in the United Kingdom, with implications for future demonstrations linked to the Gaza war and broader international human‑rights concerns.

Two prominent leaders in the Palestine solidarity movement in Britain have been found guilty of breaching protest conditions, in what campaigners called a “grotesque” and “shocking” decision.Ben Jamal, 62, the director of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC), and Chris Nineham, 63, vice-chair of the Stop the War Coalition, were accused of failing to comply with conditions imposed on a protest on 18 January 2025. They were subsequently charged with public order offences.The 18 January protest was one of 34 national pro-Palestine demonstrations held since the start of the war on Gaza in October 2023. On Wednesday, Jamal and Nineham were found guilty after a trial at Westminster magistrates court. Judge Sternberg said in his verdict that the conditions imposed were lawful and necessary, and that both defendants clearly knew them.Jamal was also convicted of two counts of inciting other protesters to breach police conditions. Sternberg said the speech Jamal made at the protest constituted incitement because it was “a suggestion, persuasion, and inducement” encouraging a breach of the conditions.“Protest rights, while fundamental, are not absolute and do not permit breaching lawfully imposed conditions,” the judge said in his verdict. Jamal and Nineham said they would appeal against the convictions.The Metropolitan police have faced significant criticism over their handling of the protest in central London, at which more than 70 people were arrested. Trade union leaders, legal experts, MPs and peers were among those calling for an independent inquiry into what they described as “repressive and heavy-handed policing” at the 18 January demonstration.Campaigners vowed that the protest for Palestinian rights on 16 May would go ahead, despite the guilty verdicts. The case has sparked concerns about civil liberties and the right to protest in the UK.

Dr. Mahrang Baloch, a 30-year-old human rights activist, has endured a year of solitary confinement in a Pakistani jail cell. Her unwavering commitment to the Baloch people's rights has only strengthened despite the isolation.Confined to a small, bare cell with limited access to books and exercise, Mahrang has found ways to cope. She spends her days studying politics and reading books that remind her of a world beyond her prison walls. Her resolve has been tested, but not broken.The physical toll of her imprisonment is evident. Mahrang suffers from severe back and joint pain, which has prevented her from exercising. In February, she was hospitalized and diagnosed with a slipped disc and radiculopathy. Yet, she continues to advocate for her people's rights.Mahrang's family has also been targeted for her activism. Her cousin, Salal Baloch, was forcibly disappeared, and her 19-year-old cousin, Saifullah Baloch, remains missing. Her brother faces strict monitoring and harassment from the counter-terrorism department.Despite these challenges, Mahrang remains committed to peaceful resistance. She believes that the state's violence and collective punishment will not deter her or the Baloch people from demanding their rights. The BYC has documented over 1,200 cases of enforced disappearances in Balochistan in 2025 alone.Mahrang's story highlights the ongoing human rights crisis in Balochistan. Her courage and conviction serve as a beacon of hope for the Baloch people and human rights activists worldwide.

London, United Kingdom – Civil‑rights organisations and supporters of the Palestine solidarity movement allege that the British state is employing intimidation tactics following the recent re‑arrest of two young pro‑Palestinian activists who were out on bail. On Monday, 21‑year‑old Qesser Zuhrah was detained at her Watford home after posting on social media urging people to take “direct action”. Counter‑terrorism police charged her with encouraging or assisting criminal damage, a charge tied to the online post. She was granted bail again on Tuesday and is scheduled to appear in court on 17 April. Four days earlier, 23‑year‑old Audrey Corno was arrested in south London by plain‑clothes officers who claimed she had tampered with her electronic tag – a breach of bail conditions she denies. Corno said officers emerged from an undercover vehicle parked outside her home and that her tag had been offline for only 20 minutes, a duration she could not have caused. Both activists were previously imprisoned for alleged involvement in separate 2024 raids on military‑hardware manufacturers linked to the Israeli war effort, actions claimed by the direct‑action group Palestine Action. Zuhrah is part of the “Filton 24” collective accused of breaking into an Elbit Systems UK weapons factory in Bristol, while Corno faced charges related to a break‑in at GRiD Defence Systems in Buckinghamshire. Although a High Court ruling in February declared the UK’s designation of Palestine Action as a “terrorist” organisation unlawful, the government is preparing an appeal, meaning public support for the group remains illegal for now. Naila Ahmed, head of campaigns at CAGE International, described Zuhrah’s re‑arrest as part of an “active repression” of pro‑Palestine voices, arguing that the legislation is being used to criminalise political speech and dissent. She called for the abolition of terrorism laws, saying they have historically served as tools of political control rather than public protection. Human Rights Watch has echoed these concerns, noting a “disproportionate targeting” of groups such as climate‑change activists and Palestine protesters, which undermines the right to protest without fear of harassment. The arrests occur amid escalating tension between the Metropolitan Police and Britain’s sizable Palestine solidarity movement. A large march is slated for Saturday in London, where demonstrators are expected to chant slogans like “I oppose genocide, I support Palestine Action”. The Met, which had paused mass arrests after the High Court decision, has recently reversed that policy, raising the likelihood of further detentions. In parallel, a court hearing is set for Wednesday involving Palestine Solidarity Campaign’s Ben Jamal and Stop the War Coalition’s Chris Nineham, who face accusations of breaching protest restrictions in January 2025. Public sentiment appears to be shifting: a YouGov poll found that one in three Britons express “no sympathy at all” for the Israeli side after the conflict has claimed over 72,000 lives and devastated the Gaza Strip. Critics argue that the Labour government, led by Keir Starmer, has intensified its crackdown on pro‑Palestine activism, citing a wave of arrests and the ongoing proscription of Palestine Action as evidence of a broader strategy to suppress dissent.

A prominent pro-Palestine activist in the United Kingdom has been re-arrested merely weeks after being released on bail, raising questions about the treatment of activists and the limits of free speech.The activist, who had been released on bail following a previous arrest, was taken into custody again, highlighting the ongoing tensions between law enforcement and pro-Palestine advocacy groups in the UK.The re-arrest has sparked concerns among human rights groups and activists, who argue that it undermines the right to peaceful protest and free expression. The UK government has faced criticism for its handling of pro-Palestine activism, with many accusing authorities of suppressing dissenting voices.

Qesser Zuhrah, a young pro-Palestine activist from the UK, has been arrested again just weeks after being released on bail. The 21-year-old was taken from her home in Watford, near London, on Monday morning by masked police officers.According to footage shared on social media, Zuhrah was handcuffed and placed into a car destined for prison. Her supporters claim she was arrested due to an Instagram story she posted, which allegedly encouraged people to take 'direct action'.Hertfordshire Police confirmed that a 21-year-old woman was arrested on suspicion of intentionally encouraging a crime and the encouragement of terrorism. However, they did not disclose her identity.Zuhrah is part of a group known as the 'Filton 24', who are alleged to have raided an Elbit Systems UK factory in Filton, near Bristol, on August 6, 2024. The group, Palestine Action, aims to counter Israeli war crimes and British complicity in them by targeting weapons manufacturers.Zuhrah had previously spent 15 months on remand without a conviction before being released in February. During her time in prison, she went on a hunger strike for almost 50 days to protest against the UK's ban on Palestine Action and the conditions in jail, which she described as inhumane.Her supporters argue that her arrest is part of a continuation of active repression targeting pro-Palestine activists in the UK. They also claim that the use of terrorism legislation to police social media posts relating to activism overreaches these powers, raising concerns about freedom of expression and the criminalization of political dissent.

Washington state has taken a historic step towards a more progressive tax system by passing a 9.9% income tax on millionaires. The tax, which will take effect in 2028, targets the state's ultra-wealthy residents and aims to address the state's regressive tax system.The tax was championed by activists and lawmakers, including Noel Frame, who has been pushing for a wealth tax for over 15 years. Frame's efforts were previously met with resistance from the tech industry, particularly Microsoft and Amazon, which are headquartered in the state.The new tax is seen as a significant departure from the state's previous stance on taxation. Washington state has long been known for its lack of an income tax, instead relying on sales, business, and property taxes. However, this system has been criticized for being regressive, with the state's poorest residents paying a larger share of their income in taxes.The millionaire tax is expected to bring in much-needed revenue for public services, including public schooling and healthcare. The state's budget gap has been growing, and lawmakers have been struggling to find ways to balance the books.The tax is also seen as part of a national movement towards more progressive taxation. Several other states, including California, Colorado, Michigan, and New York, are considering wealth taxes. The movement is driven in part by growing public awareness of the wealth gap and the need for more equitable taxation.Despite the potential for the tax to drive away wealthy individuals and businesses, research suggests that taxation is not a major factor in decisions to move to a different state. Instead, factors such as work opportunities, family, and lifestyle choices play a much larger role.The tax is expected to face legal challenges and potential opposition from opponents who argue that it will harm the state's economy. However, supporters of the tax argue that it is a necessary step towards creating a more equitable tax system and providing more revenue for public services.

Ethiopian women's rights activists are facing a rising tide of digital violence, including online threats, doxing, and deepfake abuse, forcing some to flee the country. Yordanos Bezabih, an Ethiopian women's rights activist, had faced online threats for years, including acid attacks, gang-rape, and death. However, in 2025, the threats became more menacing, with an anonymous Telegram group organizing an effort to track down her location.The group shared deepfakes of her – nude images and videos. A stranger started filming her in the streets, calling her by her social media handle. Thieves broke into her house and stole her laptop. Soon after, her Telegram account was hacked, and her private photos and messages were circulated on social media. The perpetrators later circulated her address, demanding she be found and “executed”.In August, Bezabih left Ethiopia on a fellowship for human rights defenders. She has not returned since; it is too dangerous. “I have been forced to remain outside the country in order to protect my safety and continue my work,” she says.Bezabih is one of a small but growing number of feminists and women’s rights defenders who have left Ethiopia over the past two years, as online violence has become all-pervasive and uncontrolled. Three years after Facebook was accused of allowing hate speech to spread unchecked in Ethiopia, amid genocidal violence against ethnic Tigrayans during the civil war – claims rejected by Meta – social media inciters in Ethiopia have found a new target: women online.Research by the Centre for Information Resilience (CIR) bears out the scale of online gendered abuse in Ethiopia. Its 2024 report, Silence, Shamed and Threatened, found that technology-facilitated gender-based violence (TFGBV) has become “normalized to the point of invisibility” and is a daily occurrence with severe offline impacts, including psychological harm, physical assault, and arrests.Activists say the government and social media platforms are not doing enough to protect them. “I don’t think the government is much concerned about online harassment. It is barely a government agenda,” says Befekadu Hailu, an Ethiopian civil society leader and former director of Ethiopia’s Centre for the Advancement of Rights and Democracy.Bezabih says the online platforms that enable the violence also do little about it. “Even though they claim to have all these community guidelines, tech platforms never respond to reports, claims or even appeals.”

Digital violence is on the rise in Africa, driven by the rapid growth of internet access and high youth populations. Experts warn that this trend has severe consequences, including mental health problems, withdrawal from public and economic life, physical attacks, and femicide.In Africa, internet access is growing exponentially, with more than 70% of the population under 30. This has created a toxic online environment with dire real-life consequences. A study across five countries in sub-Saharan Africa found that 28% of women had experienced online violence. As internet access expands, this number is expected to rise.Primary targets include women in politics, human rights activists, journalists, and women with a public profile. 46% of female parliamentarians across 50 African countries have been the target of sexist attacks online, and 42% have received threats of death, rape, beating, or abduction, often through social media.Legislation and digital literacy are crucial in combating digital violence. Only 38% of people on the continent are internet users, and among women, the figure falls to 31%. Experts stress that platforms need to be accountable for the harm that is taking place on them and put user safety over profit.Examples of digital violence include doxing, deepfake abuse, sexual harassment, intimidation, and sextortion. These actions can lead to stalking, physical violence, and damage to reputation. Globally, nearly two in every five women will experience tech-facilitated violence, while 85% of women who are online have witnessed or encountered online abuse.Fewer than 40% of countries have laws protecting women from cyber harassment or cyber stalking, leaving 44% of the world’s women and girls – 1.8 billion – without access to legal protection. In Africa, about 17 countries have introduced legislation looking at cybercrime, but most do not acknowledge the gendered nature of abuse.