Tommy Robinson jailed for breaching injunction

ANTI-MUSLIM activist Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, known by the pseudonym Tommy Robinson, on Monday (28) was jailed for 18 months after he admitted contempt of court by breaching an injunction made after he was successfully sued for libel.

Robinson, 41, was sued for libel at London's High Court by Syrian refugee Jamal Hijazi and in 2021 was ordered to pay damages.

He was also made subject to an injunction preventing him from repeating the libellous statements. Robinson appeared at London's Woolwich Crown Court and admitted breaching the injunction.

Britain's Solicitor General took legal action against him over comments in online interviews and a documentary titled 'Silenced', which has been viewed millions of times and was played in London's Trafalgar Square in July.

Aidan Eardley, a lawyer representing the Solicitor General, said Robinson had been found in contempt on three separate occasions and was jailed for it in 2019. He also has separate criminal convictions.

Robinson's lawyer Sasha Wass said: "He acted in the way that he did, and he accepts his culpability, because he passionately believes in free speech, a free press and the overwhelming desire that he has to expose the truth."

Wass also said that 'Silenced' had been "effectively commissioned" through US conspiracy theorist Alex Jones' Infowars company.

Judge Jeremy Johnson sentenced Robinson to 18 months, less three days spent in custody after he was arrested on Friday (25).

The judge said that four months could be removed from Robinson's 18-month sentence if he tried to "purge" his contempt, including by taking down copies of 'Silenced'.

Robinson was accused by some media and politicians of inflaming tensions which led to days of rioting across Britain at the end of July in the wake of the murder of three young girls at a dance workshop in Southport.

On Saturday (26), thousands of his supporters and other protesters marched through central London demanding his release, as well as tougher immigration laws.

Robinson, who has reportedly spent recent months outside the UK, has amassed a large online following built around his vehemently anti-Muslim, anti-immigrant messaging.

Demonstrators at anti-immigrant riots which erupted across England and Northern Ireland in late July and early August could be heard chanting his name.

Robinson was widely condemned for a stream of social media posts during the week of violence, which was sparked by false rumours that the suspect behind the fatal stabbings of three young girls was a Muslim asylum seeker.

He has been a familiar sight at far-right rallies over the years, but has seen his profile grow over the last year after his X account was reinstated following billionaire Elon Musk's purchase of the platform.

(Agencies)