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Rowan Somerville

@somervillerowan

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Justice Jeremy Johnson today used terrorist sentencing to give: Charlotte Head - 6 years
Leona Kamio - 6 years
Fatema Rajwani - 5 years, 8 months Samuel Corner - 8 years, 8 months
They had broken into an Israeli arms developer's factory and vandalised antipersonnel drones which have been used in lethal force against innocent men, children and women in Gaza. Justice Johnson in the case had subjected the defence to stringent restrictions, including preventing their barrister from telling the jury they could acquit based on their conscience, an established principle of English law. I’m not suggesting that he is in MI6, but I believe this is the same Judge whom Julien Assange revealed to have top-secret clearance and has represented our secret services before…cf (from “ declassified”): “One of the two High Court judges who will rule on Julian Assange’s bid to stop his extradition to the US represented the UK’s Secret Intelligence Service (MI6) and the Ministry of Defence, Declassified has found.
Justice Jeremy Johnson has also been a specially vetted barrister, cleared by the UK authorities to access top secret information” this is definitely the same Judge who tried to penalise the barrister with contempt of court and not only lost his case but was obliged to apologise. These people were initially acquitted but re-trialed under political pressure. They have admitted to the criminal damage but because of a OUR PM changing law , they are receiving convictions as if they were terrorists. AT WHAT POINT DO WE SAY – NOT IN OUR NAME? by @somervillerowan

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a month ago

This is the reporting of the respected British newspaper, the Jewish Chronicle on an article in the New York Times (which is generally supportive of Isreal) alleging that Palestinian detainees (men, women and children) are routinely sexually abused by Israeli guards. The NYT were the newspaper to reveal the appalling use of rape by the Palestinian attackers on innocent Israelis on October 7. Which I posted on at the time . The journalist is Nicolas Kristof who no longer works at the NYT… He is being hounded and discredited all over the place… however, he is a deeply respected journalist who listed his sources and has a great deal of firsthand information… He also has not one but two Pulitzer prizes to his name ! The New York Times has been under real pressure to retract the article… But they standby it. Appropriately, world leaders queued up to make comments condemning the appalling use of rape by those Palestinians who carried out the October 7 attacks… Where are they now? On top of all of this, I ‘d ve hoped for better from The Jewish Chronicle which is an important and once respected newspaper. by @somervillerowan

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2 months ago

For those interested in this… The (to my mind) brave barrister who ignored the judge’s order that he should not instruct the jury to vote with their conscience, has managed to shrug off his charge of contempt. by @somervillerowan

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2 months ago

Rajiv Menon a British barrister is accused of breaching the judge’s directions while giving his closing speech in the trial of six people in relation to the 2024 Palestinian action protest at an arms factory of the Israeli subsidiary Elbit Systems UK in Filton, near Bristol. This is the barrister who made his name in the Stephen Lawrence trials. His crime? To remind the jury of their right to acquit on the basis of conscience regardless of the judge’s directions . It’s worth noting that this was the second trial. In the first trial they were not found guilty… does anyone seriously think that this pressure on the judiciary to convict prevents antisemitism? our prime minister thinks that the way to combat the problem of antisemitism is to double down on political groups like these, to curb freedoms of speech by preventing marches against Israel‘s destruction of the Palestinian people… To reframe march‘s protesting Isreal‘s actions against Palestinian people as hate marches… we already have laws against antisemitism use them… we have laws against racism, use them… There is nothing that makes antisemitism acceptable. We need to stand shoulder to shoulder with British Jews (regardless of peoples political views) and have zero tolerance for antisemitism… The fact that synagogues get attacked in the UK, the fact that Jewish people, Jewish school children get abused for being Jewish is disgusting – but does it help or hinder when the judiciary is pressured in this way? When antisemitism gets redefined to include criticism of Isreal? Does that help or hinder antisemites? Are we even allowed in our society today to wish to stand shoulder to shoulder with British jews, to recognise and despise the prejudice and racism that has grown exponentially in the last few years and yet also to point out that the (relatively new and strategically created) linking of criticism of Zionism and the actions of Isreal with antisemitism is a key part of the problem by @somervillerowan

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3 months ago

What a hero you are Chris Sullivan! In the midst of the most appalling tragedy parents can experience you rally for peace, against sensationalist racist media and fight for the kind of Britain worth struggling for. Our thoughts are with you and Leah and your wonderful son Finbar-that beacon of love and hope for all of us. by @somervillerowan

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3 months ago

A year to the day since I moved to this beautiful place by @somervillerowan

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4 months ago

This is a T-shirt worn by a protester recently in New York City. Let’s face it, no two people are more (ir)responsible for compromising world safety than these appalling democratically elected leaders. Netanyahu fresh from a conflict that earned him a prosecution for genocide from the international court..and Trump from his allegations of paedophilia (Epstein) Ice fiasco, desire to invade Greenland and frankly insane trade tariffs… let us hope that for once in his Prime Ministerial role Keir Starmer sticks to his guns when he wisely stands up and says “no more” i’m really pleased he’s showing a bit of mettle (thanks to Middle East eye for the image) by @somervillerowan

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4 months ago

Who could’ve seen that one coming? So why am I against this war so thoroughly: it is an unjust war, it is an unnecessary war, Donald Trump came to Power saying he would end wars and in a matter of weeks, he attacked Iran, he is following the bidding of president Netanyahu before the blood of 70 to 80,000 Palestinians was even dry on his hands, iran is not threatening the US, iran was not threatening the UK, this is not a question of doing the right thing like the second world war, it is might equals right and we in the UK are prostituting ourselves to the might of the US… by @somervillerowan

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5 months ago

So Starmer and his government are sleepwalking into following these two maniacs to war. A war with a country that was not remotely threatening us. When Russia did this to Ukraine… We supported Ukraine. Why shouldn’t Russia and China support iran? You know damn well that they will. Starmer has done everything wrong… He is committing to the US without really getting the support of that commitment… He’s utterly useless and should be changed. by @somervillerowan

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5 months ago

Last year was a year of truly great films.
One battle after another/Bugonia/Marty Supreme to Name a few… but this one above by Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi was for me the BEST… Just a wonderful powerful intelligent funny acidic human film wrestling with very complex issues in a brilliant way.. maybe it’s a good time to watch a film like this and remember that those people the US and Isreal is declaring war on (with our help) , are humans like you and I… just a little reminder… listen I may be too attached to being an idiot liberal to feel it’s okay to assassinate a leader we don’t like… Or anyone for that matter… but I don’t mourn that religious fanatic… Maybe Trump killed him so that we can see what a supreme leader really looks like (in a baseball cap)There’s no more rule of law people like Trump and Netanyahu have just torn it up… Don’t tell me that iran was threatening war on the US… No one believes it… But as I say I don’t mourn the death of that beard patriarch whilst at the same time, as I say, I’m really conflicted by how vile and utterly mendacious the US and Israeli leaders are in their behaviour and explanations…Panahi Got given 12 months in prison for making this film and still went back from cannes to Tehran into the arms of the police… I pray for the safety of all people from Tehran to Tel Aviv by @somervillerowan

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5 months ago

I rejoice in two things, the apprehending and imprisonment of two Islamist cowardly, brutal nutbags plotting slaughter of British Jews and the High Court concluding that prescribing Palestinian Action as a terrorist group was an essentially illegal act by the current UK government. I did not support the MO of Palestinian Action but I rejoice in the recognition that Keir Starmer is ideologically embedded in the current government of Isreal’s genocidal policy towards Palestinians. … 2000 British citizens have been unlawfully and unnecessarily imprisoned ..Well done to the Metropolitan police for catching genuine terrorists and well done to the High Court for dismissing the political act of condemning 2000 people campaigning against Palestinian slaughter as terrorists… may all Jewish people going to synagogue be protected and be protected in all walks of their life (whatever their politics)… Let us fight antisemitism but also fight and pray for a just world for the Palestinians by @somervillerowan

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5 months ago

Do you want this woman in your party? (If I were a Tory I’d be overjoyed that she’d left mine) by @somervillerowan

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6 months ago