On the Arrest of Richard Medhurst
The arrest of the reporter Richard Medhurst, who has been one of the most ardent critics of the genocide in Gaza and Israeli apartheid state, at Heathrow airport is part of the steady march towards the criminalization of journalism, something all of us, including Medhurst, understood lay at the heart of the long persecution of Julian Assange.
Where the “norm” was for police to detain people for questioning under Schedule 7, Medhurst became the first journalist in Britain to be arrested under Section 12 of the draconian Terrorism Act.
After being taken into custody by six police officers, having his electronic equipment seized and questioned, he was placed in solitary confinement for almost 24 hours. He was released on pre-charge bail. He will remain under investigation for at least three months and faces the prospect of being charged with an offence that could carry a prison sentence of up to 14 years.
This arrest is about paralyzing his work, and the work of all who call out Israel for its mass slaughter. It is an ominous warning to any who stand up for Palestinian rights. It is designed to have a chilling effect on reporting that elucidates Israel’s genocidal campaign in Gaza and increasingly the West Bank, as well as the active collaboration in this extermination of the Palestinian people by the U.S. and U.K. governments. Medhurst’s arrest has nothing to do with fighting terrorism, at least for those who still believe journalism is not terrorism.
If we do not vigorously oppose Medhurst’s arrest, if we do not denounce the use of terrorism laws to attempt to silence journalists, including the Scottish journalist Craig Murray, Grayzone correspondent Kit Karenberg and the late David Miranda who was working with Glenn Greenwald on the files leaked by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden, Medhurst’s arrest will become the “norm.”
The question is how to fight this pernicious stride towards the evisceration of our freedom of speech.
The question is how to fight the singular hold the Zionist lobby has over successive governments in the Western world.
Yes we will be out on the streets for Medhurst, if need be, like we were for Assange, but we cannot rely on individual case victories alone. The system has to be destroyed if we are to reclaim our rights.
Any suggestions Chris?
As always, thanks for everything you do.
I heard Mr. Medhurst in an interview recently. His case is shocking. I just have one suggestion, and I want to be certain that it’s not misinterpreted. I was a young activist in Berkeley in the 60’s where many people advised Huey Newton and the Black Panthers to avoid dressing as guerrilla warriors. I hated that picture of him with guns and a beret on that wicker chair because it confirmed a certain stereotype among middle class white Americans.
We’re dealing with primitive, not too bright people, and any unconventional attire frightens them. It serves no purpose. Mr. Medhurst needs to present as unthreatening as possible in order to get maximum support from ordinary citizens.
Now, on to the challenge of keeping him free, so that we can be free. Thanks for this article Mr. H.