On 22 April, Majid Novsarka, also known as Majid Freeman, went on trial under the Terrorism Act 2000 for posts online that allegedly supported terrorism and political violence, and specifically the proscribed organisation Hamas. On 11 May, the jury announced that it was unable to reach a verdict as to whether Majid was guilty or not on any of the charges. He therefore walked free from court but faces a retrial in 2027.
The case against Majid was built on social media posts, many of them reposts from other sources, that support the internationally recognised right of an occupied people to resist their occupier through any means necessary, including through armed struggle.
This trial was particularly important as there are many similar cases in the pipeline, including that of our comrade Sarah of the SOAS2, whose trial will be at the Old Bailey in London from 22 June.
FRFI comrades spoke to protesters outside Birmingham Crown Court on the first day. Everyone understood that the British state and Crown Prosecution Service hoped to equate support for Palestine to support for terrorism, allowing further legal action to be taken against those that are vocally against Israel’s genocide.
Over the four weeks of the trial there was a constant protest outside the court. organised primarily by CAGE International and supported by over 70 different organisations including Birmingham RCG. The protest featured posters, banners and flags, with many different speakers, as well as music and dancing. Sarah travelled from London to speak on the first day and other comrades attended over the subsequent weeks of protest to show our support for Majid and all those facing similar state repression, as well as to highlight the upcoming SOAS 2 trial.
The trial began with a full jury of 12 people, working on the premise that if they could not agree unanimously, then a majority of 10 would suffice to convict. During the course of the case two jurors dropped out for personal reasons, and on the final day on which the court sat, a third informed the judge that they would also have to leave. If a jury is reduced to nine members, the legal procedure is that only a unanimous verdict can be accepted. As the jury could not agree, the case was therefore unable to conclude.
The prosecution immediately sought a retrial, a tactic we have already seen used in the trial of the first four of the Filton 6 – if the state does not get its way it will continue pushing until it does. The judge at Birmingham Crown Court immediately accepted the application and Majid Freeman will be retried on 20 September 2027, nearly a year and a half away. The movement must defend him then just as it has now.
Despite the prospect of a retrial, this is another victory for all those who stand on the side of Palestinian liberation. The British state has so far been unable to convict anyone charged under section 12 of the TA 2000 for their Palestine solidarity. Outside the court, Majid told supporters:
‘I welcome the opportunity of a retrial, because it means the evidence of what Israel has done to Gaza, the brutality, the systematic destruction of an entire people, will once again be placed before a jury of the British public. Let them see it again. Let the world be reminded again.’
Defend the right to defend Palestine!
Toby Slim
