Hamas Challenges UK Terror Listing in Court

Hamas is challenging its designation as a terrorist organization in the UK, arguing that the ban violates human rights and that it is a liberation movement rather than a terrorist group. The legal appeal, spearheaded by Mousa Abu Marzouk and backed by Riverway Law, claims the UK's proscription is politically motivated and disproportionate, asserting that Hamas does not threaten Britain and that their actions align with international law on resisting occupation. The UK, which banned Hamas's political wing in 2021 following the proscription of its military wing in 2001, maintains the group is a single terrorist entity and points to the October 7, 2023, attacks as evidence of its threat. British authorities, including Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, have dismissed the appeal, citing the group's past acts of violence, such as mass killings and kidnappings. The legal team for Hamas argues that the ban restricts free speech and assembly under the European Convention of Human Rights, and that similar actions by other military forces, including the IDF and the British military, could also fit the definition of terrorism under UK law.