Tommy Robinson sentenced to 18 months in prison; will serve 9

In a devastating blow to press freedom, Tommy Robinson faces nine months in solitary confinement in one of the UK's most dangerous prisons for publishing his latest political documentary. Justice Jeremy Johnson’s severe sentence signals a chilling message to dissenters: those who challenge the government's narrative risk severe repercussions.

| October 28, 2024

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Freedom of speech received a huge blow today as Tommy Robinson was sentenced to 18 months in prison for publishing a political documentary called “Silenced”. He is expected to serve nine months.

After a short hearing, Justice Jeremy Johnson immediately delivered a lengthy sentence, appearing to be reading from a prepared script on his computer. The judge said he wanted to apply the maximum sentence of two years to Tommy, but there were certain rules that required the time to be reduced somewhat, such as Tommy’s decision to not contest his guilt.

Tommy was immediately taken away to Belmarsh prison, the most notorious prison in the UK, a high-security facility filled with terrorists and murderers. Tommy will be held in solitary confinement there, as the British prison system is controlled by Islamic prison gangs, and were Tommy in the general population, he would surely be attacked. Nine months in solitary confinement is an extremely unusual sentence, as it is generally considered to be a form of psychological torture, and many jurisdictions no longer permit it for that period of time. Tommy was not convicted of a crime; he is being held for civil contempt, yet he is being held in a prison for murderers.

Tommy’s defence lawyer, barrister Sasha Wass, KC, pointed out that unlike many cases of contempt of court, Tommy was not self-serving — he didn’t lie under oath, commit perjury or otherwise try to slyly benefit himself. The “contempt” in this case was publishing an investigative documentary into matter of public interest. That made the sentence even more shocking: in the UK, the government is now the final arbiter of what’s a fact and what isn’t, and a prison term awaits for those who are off-side.

A lot has been said in recent weeks about the UK’s lurch towards a two-tier justice system. Today’s punitive sentence is just the latest example of that — and it serves as a warning to anyone who would dare to criticize the government’s agenda. If they can jail Tommy Robinson, they can jail you, too. It’s an attempt to scare citizens into silence.

Tommy sent a note to me through one of his lawyers after court today, saying he’s fine. I’m heading home to Canada now. But I did promise Tommy I’d visit him regularly, to ensure that he is being treated reasonably well in prison, and I’ll report to you when I do. So I’ll be back soon.

Thanks for your help and support. If you think my journalism is an important counterbalance to the mainstream media, please take a moment to help me cover my costs to come to court today, including my economy-class airfare from Canada. (Thank you.)