UK Rejects Requests For Hamas Elimination From List Of Terrorist Organizations

Hamas Anniversary Celebration. (Wikimedia Commons/Fars Media Corporation)

JAKARTA - Palestinian militant group Hamas failed in its efforts to remove a list of banned terrorist organizations in the UK.

The lawyer acting on behalf of the group submitted a 106-page lawsuit in April to the Minister of Home Affairs Yvette Cooper for the determination in 2021 to be canceled.

They claim that Hamas' ban has made Britain "involved in genocide", denying the Palestinian "legitimation of struggle" against Israel's "resident".

The petition also claims that the ban as a terrorist group contradicts the European Human Rights Court for restricting free speech and the right to protest.

The filing describes the designation as "disproportionate" because "Hamas does not pose a threat to Britain or British citizens", reported by The National July 11.

When submitting the application, Minister Cooper stated that Hamas was a terrorist organization that carried out a "barrel terrorist attack" on October 7, 2023. The Ministry of Home Affairs confirmed that the request had been rejected.

"The government continues to review the list of banned organizations on a regular basis," the Ministry of Home Affairs said.

"While we do not regularly comment on certain banned groups, we can confirm that Harakat al-Muqawahah (Hamas) is still listed as a banned organization," the ministry said.

The application was filed by lawyer Fahad Ansari, director of Riverway Law, with the help of lawyer Franck Magennis, who practices at Garden Court Chambers and Daniel Grutters of One Pump Court.

The application was submitted by the head of Hamas international relations, Mousa Abu Marzouk, who gave a witness statement regarding the organization and the events on October 7, 2023.

The petition also states that the ban has prevented Hamas from mediating political solutions to the conflict, taking examples from Northern Ireland and South Africa.

Britain designated Hamas' military wing as a banned organization in 2001. Then, Home Affairs Minister Priti Patel expanded it to the political wing of the organization in 2021.

Last week, Palestine Action failed to stop its ban on being a terrorist organization after filing its own lawsuit.

Huda Ammori, co-founder of Palestine Action, filed a lawsuit against the Ministry of Home Affairs over Minister Cooper's decision to ban the group under the 2000 Terrorism Act.

The membership or support of the direct action group is now a criminal act that can be sentenced to up to 14 years in prison.