An attempt by Scottish prosecutors to tempt Palestine Action protesters to accept a ‘warning’ instead of going to trial will be met with a show of contempt and principle tomorrow.

Around twenty Palestinian solidarity protesters were arrested and charged under Section 13 of the Terrorism Act 2000 for wearing t-shirts opposing the government’s proscription of non-violent Palestine Action as a terrorist group. They face prison sentences of up to 6 months if they are convicted. But they will publicly reject in the most emphatic way possible — a written offer issued last week by the Procurators Fiscal — to accept a formal warning to avoid a full criminal trial on ‘terrorism’ charges.

Palestine Action offered to accept warning letters

The Prosecutors Fiscal letter states:

the public interest would be best served by offering [you] a warning… if you accept this warning or are deemed to have accepted it, I shall not prosecute you for the above (Terrorism Act 2000 Section 13) offence

Those charged will hold up and burn their Crown Office letters in public — as a rejection of Scottish legal authorities’ use of criminal law, to smear opponents of Israel’s genocide against the Palestinian people. The activists say that they hope their actions will express solidarity with all individuals charged or already jailed for long periods without trial — some of whom are on hunger strike.

The action will take place at the Scottish Parliament tomorrow — Saturday 22nd November — after the national anti-genocide demonstration that gathers at the top of the Lawnmarket from 1pm before marching down Edinburgh’s Royal Mile.

UN Human Rights Commissioner, Volker Türk, has condemned the Starmer regime’s police-state action, writing in his July report that:

the Terrorism Act misuses the gravity and impact of terrorism to expand it beyond those clear boundaries, to encompass further conduct that is already criminal under the law…

…according to international standards, terrorist acts should be confined to criminal acts intended to cause death or serious injury or to the taking of hostages.

Accepting a warning would mean that each protester’s action would be recorded on their record for two years. The Crown Office admits that this entry can be used “to inform future police or prosecution decisions” and can be included in disclosure checks, putting current and future employment at risk.

Almost all the letters were sent unrecorded. If they had been lost or misdelivered, an accused person would automatically be deemed to have accepted the warning, which would implicate them in any ‘future prosecution decisions’ or disclosure requirements.

The Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign is demanding a full and unconditional apology for those wrongly accused. It also demands an immediate cancellation of all fake terrorist charges against them, along with the release of all anti-genocide, political prisoners being jailed without trial.

Last month, a leaked Police Scotland document revealed that Scottish police do not believe that Palestine Action’s activities constitute terrorism — yet both Holyrood and Westminster governments are pursuing a ‘lawfare’ campaign against those who oppose the proscription.

Featured image via twitter