Hamas files challenge to overturn UK terror designation
handout picture provided by the Iranian foreign ministry on 31 October 2023 shows senior Hamas member Mousa Abu Marzouk (R) and senior leader Khaled Meshaal (L) attending a meeting in the Qatari capital Doha
Hebh Jamal reports in Mondoweiss on 9 April 2025:
On Wednesday, April 9, the Islamic Resistance Movement, Hamas, submitted a formal legal application to the UK Home Secretary seeking removal from the country’s list of proscribed terrorist organizations. The application was filed through the London-based law firm Riverway Law.
The legal challenge is brought on behalf of Dr. Mousa Abu Marzouk, Head of International Relations and the Legal Office of Hamas’ Political Bureau. The submission, exceeding 100 pages, presents a detailed argument against the UK’s designation of Hamas as a terrorist organization. It draws on the expertise of 20 scholars from diverse fields, including Professor John Dugard, a former ad hoc judge of the International Court of Justice.
History of the designation
In March 2001, under the Terrorism Act 2000, the UK proscribed the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, as a terrorist organization. Hamas’s political wing remained legal until November 26, 2021, when the UK government extended the ban to include Hamas in its entirety. Then-Home Secretary Priti Patel justified the move by claiming that it was no longer possible to differentiate between the two arms of the organization and cited Hamas’s “significant terrorist capability.” The full proscription criminalized any form of support for Hamas, including wearing its insignia, organizing meetings, or expressing public endorsement.
Speaking to Mondoweiss, Riverway Law director and lead solicitor Fahad Ansari criticized the political motivations behind the proscription.