Charges have been dropped against two men who had travelled from Blackburn to North London to attend a “Convoy For Palestine” during the war between Israel and Hamas in May 2021.
Charges of stirring up racial hatred have been dropped against two men who travelled to North London in a “Convoy For Palestine” during the war between Israel and Hamas in May last year, reports the Jewish Chronicle.
Asif Ali (26) and Adil Mota (27) had travelled from Blackburn in the convoy that drove through London on 16 May 2021. Cases of two other men, Mohammed Iftikhar Hanif (28) and Jawaad Hussain (25) are still not closed, with charges of “using threatening, abusive or insulting words, or behaviour, with intent, likely to stir up racial hatred”.
All four men were arrested after a video appeared on social media last May with audible antisemitic abusive shouting while vehicles draped with Palestinian flags travelled in a convoy near heavily Jewish areas of north London.
All four arrests pleaded not guilty when they were charged last year. Asif Ali and Adil Mota did not attend the hearing where their charges were dropped, they were represented by their lawyers via a video link. Mr Mota’s solicitor Ghafar Khan said “We are glad that the case against our client has been dismissed. “We had advanced the innocence of Mr Mota from the outset, he has stressed he is not antisemitic and has nothing against Jewish people.”
According to Mr Khan, while his client joined the convoy, he didn’t take part in the threatening or abusive behaviour. “There was a car protest in which he took part to protest the difficulties faced in Palestine for the Palestinian people.”
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