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Teen Wins Libel Case Against Tommy Robinson, U.K. Far-Right Activist
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Bolloy Benders Family
Jul 22, 2021, 2:19:33 PM7/22/21
to
NYTIMES.COM
Teen Wins Libel Case Against Tommy Robinson, U.K. Far-Right Activist
Megan Specia
Mr. Robinson had been taken to court after making accusations against
a Syrian teenager who was violently attacked by classmates on video.
July 22, 2021, 9:36 a.m. ET
LONDON -- Tommy Robinson, a British far-right activist, lost a libel
case on Thursday filed by a teenage refugee from Syria who had been
filmed being attacked at his school, after Mr. Robinson falsely
claimed the boy had himself violently attacked classmates.
Mr. Robinson will be required to pay 100,000 pounds in damages, around
$137,000, according to the judgment handed down by Justice Matthew
Nicklin during a remote session in London's High Court. He also
ordered Mr. Robinson to pay the teenager's legal costs, which are
likely to be larger than the damages.
Mr. Robinson, 38, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, was the
founder of the English Defense League, a nationalist group known for
its anti-Islam and anti-immigration stance and for violent street
protests. Despite being seen as on the fringes of British life, he has
also become a prominent figure internationally for supporters of
similar ideologies, with links to the far right in Europe, the United
States and elsewhere.
The teenager, Jamal Hijazi, now 17, was filmed being attacked at his
school in northern England in October 2018, and after the video spread
online, Mr. Robinson claimed in two videos posted on his Facebook page
that the teenager was "not innocent and he violently attacks young
English girls in his school."
In one of the clips, Mr. Robinson had said that the teenager "beat a
girl black and blue" and "threatened to stab" a boy at his school,
which Mr. Hijazi denied. His two posts about the video were together
viewed more than a million times, according to court documents.
Mr. Robinson represented himself at the trial, arguing that his
comments were substantively true. But the court determined on Thursday
that Mr. Robinson's evidence "fell woefully short" of proving any of
his allegations.
Mr. Hijazi came to Britain with his family in 2016 as refugees from
the city of Homs in Syria, according to court documents. His lawyers
argued that the posts by Mr. Robinson had a devastating impact on the
teenager and had led to death threats.
In his decision, Justice Nicklin reaffirmed that idea, noting that Mr.
Hijazi "became the target of abuse which ultimately led to him and his
family having to leave their home, and the claimant to have to abandon
his education." The judge determined that Mr. Robinson's posts were
"calculated to inflame the situation," after the initial video of the
attack on Mr. Hijazi became a focus of public discussion in Britain.
Scars from what Mr. Robinson had done, and particularly its effects on
Mr. Hijazi's education, were likely to last "for many years, if not a
lifetime," the judge added.
Reacting to the decision, Francesca Flood, one of the lawyers
representing Mr. Hijazi, said that the firm was "delighted that Jamal
has been entirely vindicated."
"Jamal and his family now wish to put this matter behind them in order
that they can get on with their lives," she said in a statement. "They
do, however, wish to extend their gratitude to the great British
public for their support and generosity, without which this legal
action would not have been possible."
The court also granted an injunction against Mr. Robinson ordering him
not to post or publish similar allegations against Mr. Hijazi. The
judge said that based on statements Mr. Robinson had made in court,
the activist intended to "repeat a large part of the evidence that has
been heard in this trial and the allegations" made against the
teenager.
After the decision was handed down, Mr. Robinson told the judge that
his own financial struggles would make it impossible to pay the
required court costs, or probably the damages.
"The cost is shocking," he said. "The other point is, I don't have any
money, I'm bankrupt. I've struggled hugely with my own issues these
past 12 months."
Mr. Robinson also said that he had recently made a film with an
American broadcaster that revisited the incident and asked whether the
injunction would affect that, to which the judge said he was not there
to offer advice on the legality of the film.
Mr. Robinson is no stranger to England's legal system. He has several
past criminal convictions, including for violence, public order
offenses, disobeying court orders and fraud. In 2019, he was found
guilty of contempt of court and jailed after filming outside a court
in Leeds which had a news media blackout.
He has served four stints in prison and has been banned from Twitter,
Instagram and Facebook for breaching the social media platforms'
guidelines.
Facebook, in a 2019 blog post, explained that it had removed his
accounts after posts that "violate our policies around organized
hate."
--
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`-.,),)
Created with https://www.textpad.com
and
https://www.forteinc.com/agent/
Teen Wins Libel Case Against Tommy Robinson, U.K. Far-Right Activist
Megan Specia
Mr. Robinson had been taken to court after making accusations against
a Syrian teenager who was violently attacked by classmates on video.
July 22, 2021, 9:36 a.m. ET
LONDON -- Tommy Robinson, a British far-right activist, lost a libel
case on Thursday filed by a teenage refugee from Syria who had been
filmed being attacked at his school, after Mr. Robinson falsely
claimed the boy had himself violently attacked classmates.
Mr. Robinson will be required to pay 100,000 pounds in damages, around
$137,000, according to the judgment handed down by Justice Matthew
Nicklin during a remote session in London's High Court. He also
ordered Mr. Robinson to pay the teenager's legal costs, which are
likely to be larger than the damages.
Mr. Robinson, 38, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, was the
founder of the English Defense League, a nationalist group known for
its anti-Islam and anti-immigration stance and for violent street
protests. Despite being seen as on the fringes of British life, he has
also become a prominent figure internationally for supporters of
similar ideologies, with links to the far right in Europe, the United
States and elsewhere.
The teenager, Jamal Hijazi, now 17, was filmed being attacked at his
school in northern England in October 2018, and after the video spread
online, Mr. Robinson claimed in two videos posted on his Facebook page
that the teenager was "not innocent and he violently attacks young
English girls in his school."
In one of the clips, Mr. Robinson had said that the teenager "beat a
girl black and blue" and "threatened to stab" a boy at his school,
which Mr. Hijazi denied. His two posts about the video were together
viewed more than a million times, according to court documents.
Mr. Robinson represented himself at the trial, arguing that his
comments were substantively true. But the court determined on Thursday
that Mr. Robinson's evidence "fell woefully short" of proving any of
his allegations.
Mr. Hijazi came to Britain with his family in 2016 as refugees from
the city of Homs in Syria, according to court documents. His lawyers
argued that the posts by Mr. Robinson had a devastating impact on the
teenager and had led to death threats.
In his decision, Justice Nicklin reaffirmed that idea, noting that Mr.
Hijazi "became the target of abuse which ultimately led to him and his
family having to leave their home, and the claimant to have to abandon
his education." The judge determined that Mr. Robinson's posts were
"calculated to inflame the situation," after the initial video of the
attack on Mr. Hijazi became a focus of public discussion in Britain.
Scars from what Mr. Robinson had done, and particularly its effects on
Mr. Hijazi's education, were likely to last "for many years, if not a
lifetime," the judge added.
Reacting to the decision, Francesca Flood, one of the lawyers
representing Mr. Hijazi, said that the firm was "delighted that Jamal
has been entirely vindicated."
"Jamal and his family now wish to put this matter behind them in order
that they can get on with their lives," she said in a statement. "They
do, however, wish to extend their gratitude to the great British
public for their support and generosity, without which this legal
action would not have been possible."
The court also granted an injunction against Mr. Robinson ordering him
not to post or publish similar allegations against Mr. Hijazi. The
judge said that based on statements Mr. Robinson had made in court,
the activist intended to "repeat a large part of the evidence that has
been heard in this trial and the allegations" made against the
teenager.
After the decision was handed down, Mr. Robinson told the judge that
his own financial struggles would make it impossible to pay the
required court costs, or probably the damages.
"The cost is shocking," he said. "The other point is, I don't have any
money, I'm bankrupt. I've struggled hugely with my own issues these
past 12 months."
Mr. Robinson also said that he had recently made a film with an
American broadcaster that revisited the incident and asked whether the
injunction would affect that, to which the judge said he was not there
to offer advice on the legality of the film.
Mr. Robinson is no stranger to England's legal system. He has several
past criminal convictions, including for violence, public order
offenses, disobeying court orders and fraud. In 2019, he was found
guilty of contempt of court and jailed after filming outside a court
in Leeds which had a news media blackout.
He has served four stints in prison and has been banned from Twitter,
Instagram and Facebook for breaching the social media platforms'
guidelines.
Facebook, in a 2019 blog post, explained that it had removed his
accounts after posts that "violate our policies around organized
hate."
--
)" .
/ \ (\-./
/ | _/ o. \
| | .-" y)-
| |/ _/ \
\ /j _".\(@)
\ ( | `.'' )
\ _`- | /
" `-._ <_ (
`-.,),)
Created with https://www.textpad.com
and
https://www.forteinc.com/agent/
Yak
Jul 24, 2021, 8:53:48 PM7/24/21
to
Bolloy Benders Family wrote
> NYTIMES.COM
> Teen Wins Libel Case Against Tommy Robinson, U.K. Far-Right Activist
> Megan Specia
>
A far-right activst in the UK
Wrong! They're all beer sucking socialist cunts who need their NHS to save
them.
None of them, not one, has paid cash to a doctor for service.
That's why it's not the USA.
USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA!
> NYTIMES.COM
> Teen Wins Libel Case Against Tommy Robinson, U.K. Far-Right Activist
> Megan Specia
>
Wrong! They're all beer sucking socialist cunts who need their NHS to save
them.
None of them, not one, has paid cash to a doctor for service.
That's why it's not the USA.
USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA!
Yak
Aug 3, 2021, 9:48:19 PM8/3/21
to
Bolloy Benders Family wrote
> NYTIMES.COM
> Teen Wins Libel Case Against Tommy Robinson, U.K. Far-Right Activist
> Megan Specia
>
> NYTIMES.COM
> Teen Wins Libel Case Against Tommy Robinson, U.K. Far-Right Activist
> Megan Specia
>
Yak
Aug 31, 2021, 1:56:41 PM8/31/21
to
Bolloy Benders Family wrote
> NYTIMES.COM
> Teen Wins Libel Case Against Tommy Robinson, U.K. Far-Right Activist
> Megan Specia
>
> NYTIMES.COM
> Teen Wins Libel Case Against Tommy Robinson, U.K. Far-Right Activist
> Megan Specia
>
Yak
Sep 19, 2021, 11:53:15 AM9/19/21
to
Bolloy Benders Family wrote
> NYTIMES.COM
> Teen Wins Libel Case Against Tommy Robinson, U.K. Far-Right Activist
> Megan Specia
>
> NYTIMES.COM
> Teen Wins Libel Case Against Tommy Robinson, U.K. Far-Right Activist
> Megan Specia
>
Yak
Oct 9, 2021, 11:58:46 AM10/9/21
to
Bolloy Benders Family wrote
> NYTIMES.COM
> Teen Wins Libel Case Against Tommy Robinson, U.K. Far-Right Activist
> Megan Specia
>
> NYTIMES.COM
> Teen Wins Libel Case Against Tommy Robinson, U.K. Far-Right Activist
> Megan Specia
>
Yak
Nov 5, 2021, 5:51:25 PM11/5/21
to
Bolloy Benders Family wrote
> NYTIMES.COM
> Teen Wins Libel Case Against Tommy Robinson, U.K. Far-Right Activist
> Megan Specia
>
> NYTIMES.COM
> Teen Wins Libel Case Against Tommy Robinson, U.K. Far-Right Activist
> Megan Specia
>
Yak
Nov 13, 2021, 5:08:15 PM11/13/21
to
Bolloy Benders Family wrote
> NYTIMES.COM
> Teen Wins Libel Case Against Tommy Robinson, U.K. Far-Right Activist
> Megan Specia
>
> NYTIMES.COM
> Teen Wins Libel Case Against Tommy Robinson, U.K. Far-Right Activist
> Megan Specia
>
Yak
Nov 21, 2021, 8:05:49 PM11/21/21
to
Bolloy Benders Family wrote
> NYTIMES.COM
> Teen Wins Libel Case Against Tommy Robinson, U.K. Far-Right Activist
> Megan Specia
>
> NYTIMES.COM
> Teen Wins Libel Case Against Tommy Robinson, U.K. Far-Right Activist
> Megan Specia
>
Yak
Dec 7, 2021, 4:26:12 PM12/7/21
to
Bolloy Benders Family wrote
> NYTIMES.COM
> Teen Wins Libel Case Against Tommy Robinson, U.K. Far-Right Activist
> Megan Specia
>
> NYTIMES.COM
> Teen Wins Libel Case Against Tommy Robinson, U.K. Far-Right Activist
> Megan Specia
>
Yak
Jan 10, 2022, 5:54:41 PM1/10/22
to
Bolloy Benders Family wrote
> NYTIMES.COM
> Teen Wins Libel Case Against Tommy Robinson, U.K. Far-Right Activist
> Megan Specia
>
> NYTIMES.COM
> Teen Wins Libel Case Against Tommy Robinson, U.K. Far-Right Activist
> Megan Specia
>
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