Yasmine Ahmed, UK director of Human Rights Watch, has denounced the UK Government’s crackdown on climate protests, labelling it a “dangerous hypocrisy.” In the latest annual world report, HRW highlights that new laws criminalising protests undermine democratic rights. Ahmed said: “We’re at a stage where we’re talking about the … dangerous hypocrisy of what the UK Government is saying and doing.” The Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 and the Public Order Act 2023 have expanded police powers, making participation in climate activism riskier. In 2024, 34 activists were jailed, including five Just Stop Oil supporters who received lengthy sentences for non-violent protest actions. Ahmed warns that the UK is setting a troubling precedent while claiming to uphold human rights and environmental commitments.
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