“Tommy Robinson is a political prisoner. He was convicted for distributing his video ‘Silencer’, even though several witnesses confirmed the truthfulness of the video in court. Robinson was imprisoned because he refused to withdraw the video. That is true civil courage! Despite this unjust treatment and the grueling conditions of solitary confinement, Robinson remains steadfast and intends to continue his fight for freedom of speech even after his release.
In doing so, he is also fighting for us, because the growing restrictions on freedom of speech across Europe have reached alarming levels. Just like in the UK, opposition figures and government-critical journalists are being suppressed and persecuted in the EU as well — the imprisonment of the blogger Shlomo and the suspended seven-month prison sentence for the editor-in-chief of Deutschland Kurier, David Bendels, for a satirical post, are just the latest examples from Germany.
In the European Parliament, we are fighting to ensure that voices like Tommy Robinson’s are heard. We will not forget these individuals and will continue to advocate for the defense of freedom of speech and the depoliticization of the judiciary.”
