MEND Statement: The Home Office’s proscription of the non-violent Hizb ut-Tahrir organisation is anti-democratic

MEND condemns the Home Office’s proposal to proscribe Hizb ut-Tahrir as a terrorist organisation as an anti-democratic move.

The Home Office seeks to proscribe the group under the Terrorism Act 2000 which, if agreed in Parliament, will come into effect on 19 January 2024.

The UK government have long sought to ban Hizb ut-Tahrir but have never found sufficient grounds to do so since it has had no proven connections to terrorist activity. As the government now extends its definition of extremism to broader forms of political dissent, this decision signifies an increasingly repressive political climate.

The government’s decision to proscribe a non-violent protest group is inherently anti-democratic and is an assault on freedom of speech and association.

Once the ban is effected, any public conduct that might arouse suspicion of membership or support for the group will be a criminal offence. This raises the potential of criminalising dissent, including legitimate pro-Palestine activism.

MEND calls on MPs to vote against this proposal as part of their commitment to upholding British democratic values and protecting the British public’s right to free speech and legitimate political dissent.