Press release, 21 November 2025
T-SHIRT TERRORISM ACCUSED WHO HAVE BEEN OFFERED A WARNING TO AVOID PROSECUTION WILL PUBLICLY BURN CROWN OFFICE LETTERS
EVENT
Around 20 Palestinian solidarity protesters who have been arrested and charged under Section 13 of the Terrorism Act 2000 and face prison sentences of up to 6 months [i] will reject a written offer issued last week by Procurators Fiscal, to accept a warning to avoid conviction as an alternative to prosecution on terrorism charges. Those charged will hold up and burn their Crown Office letters in public; a repudiation of Scottish legal authorities’ use of the criminal law to smear opponents of the Israeli genocide on the Palestinian people. Those arrested hope their actions will express solidarity with all individuals charged or already jailed for long periods without trial [ii], some of whom are on hunger strike. This group action will take place at the Scottish Parliament, Saturday 22nd November [iii], after the national demonstration against the genocide in Palestine, which gathers at the top of the Lawnmarket, 13.00 Hrs, to march its way down the Royal Mile.
NOTES
Last week, prosecutors working with a specialist casework team from the Crown Office (and Procurator Fiscal Service) made a written offer [iv] to protesters charged with wearing a t-shirt at demonstrations, bearing the slogan “Genocide in Palestine, time to take action” [v].
By wearing the t-shirts, prosecutors had decided that criminal proceedings against the individuals could be justified under the current terrorist legislation. They claim the t-shirts would “arouse reasonable suspicion that they were a member or supporter of a proscribed organisation”. In the offer, they say: “the public interest would be best served by offering [you] a warning” and that “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” [vi]. Earlier this year, former Home Secretary Yvette Cooper initiated the proscription of Palestine Action, following a protest which included spraying red paint onto military aircraft [vii].
UN Human Rights Commissioner, Volker Türk, who condemned UK terror legislation, wrote in his July report [viii] 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.” In a damning indictment of UK law, Türk pointed out, “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.” In August of this year, the Scottish Human Rights Commission (SHRC) chief, Professor Angela O’Hagan, emphasised her concerns in a letter [ix] to the Lord Advocate, Dorothy Bain. Following arrests and charges at a demonstration with the t-shirts being worn outside Bute House, Edinburgh, on 19th July she informed Bain: “the SHRC is concerned that the application of the Terrorism Act 2000 in some of these arrests risks disproportionately restricting the right to peaceful protest guaranteed by Articles 10 and 11 of the European Convention of Human Rights.”
Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign condemns these warning letters from the Crown Office:
- The Crown Office has misused the gravity of terrorism in order to smear protesters exercising their right to protest peacefully against the crime of genocide. Applying a ‘warning’, something more fitting for minor crimes, in order to avoid conviction, demonstrates the flippancy with which Scottish prosecutors have trivialised the very term ‘terrorism’.
- Accepting a warning would mean that an individual’s action would be recorded on their record for 2 years [x]. The Crown Office admits that this entry can be used “to inform future police or prosecution decisions”. It would also be included in certain disclosure checks, jeopardising current and future employment [xi]. No person who has simply exercised their right to peaceful protest and expression should be branded in this way. And all because of their political and humanitarian views!
- Nearly all letters were sent unrecorded. Therefore, 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. This is an abuse of justice by people who care so little about the assumption of ‘innocent until proven guilty’, since a ‘no reply’ will be seen as a green light for having accepted a warning, on a terrorist related matter! This will occur when they cannot be certain that the accused has even seen the letter, never mind read the offer!
OUR DEMANDS
- We demand an apology for those wrongly accused, and an immediate cancellation of all fake terrorist charges against them.
- We demand the release of all anti-genocide, political prisoners being jailed without trial.
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Andrew (07438)-227788
[i] Specific legislation terrorism: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2000/11/section/13
[ii] Judicial and penal treatment of Filton 24: https://www.thecanary.co/uk/analysis/2025/10/28/defend-our-juries-protest/
[iii] SPSC flyer for national demonstration https://www.scottishpsc.org.uk/event/scottish-national-demo-stand-firm/
[iv] Standard Letter issued by Crown Office on 12.11.2025 https://drive.proton.me/urls/QSJJZ821QW#IsaRRgEeSpxy
[v] Dr Lizzie Eldridge: https://www.thenational.scot/news/25499134.vice-president-scottish-pen-arrested-home-terror-laws/ Paul Lafferty https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025/aug/25/screenwriter-paul-laverty-arrested-palestine-action-edinburgh
[vi] Standard Letter issued by Crown Office on 12.11.2025 https://drive.proton.me/urls/QSJJZ821QW#IsaRRgEeSpxy
[vii] https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/7/4/palestine-action-what-has-the-group-done-as-it-faces-a-ban
[viii] Volker Türk, UN Human Rights Commissioner https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2025/07/uk-palestine-action-ban-disturbing-misuse-uk-counter-terrorism-legislation
[ix] Prof. Angela O#Hagan, Scottish Human Rights Commissioner https://www.scottishhumanrights.com/media/3043/letter-shrc-chiefconstableandlordadvocate-righttoprotest-04082025.pdf
[x] Standard Letter issued by Crown Office on 12.11.2025 https://drive.proton.me/urls/QSJJZ821QW#IsaRRgEeSpxy
[xi] Standard Letter issued by Crown Office on 12.11.2025 https://drive.proton.me/urls/QSJJZ821QW#IsaRRgEeSpxy