Student union officer accused of supporting Hamas is banned from leaving UK

17 November 2023 , 18:50

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Hanin Barghouthi has denied backing Hamas

A student union women's officer who allegedly delivered a four-minute speech in support of Hamas has been banned from leaving the UK.

Hanin Barghouthi, 22, must now live and sleep at her address each night until she faces trial at the Old Bailey on December 8. She is accused of a single count of expressing an "opinion or belief" in support of the backed group, an offence contrary to The Terrorism Act 2000.

But Barghouthi denied it at a plea hearing at Westminster Magistrates’ Court today, where a judge imposed strict bail conditions, including a ban on obtaining international travel documents or using a mobile phone not authorised by police unless in an emergency.

Barghouti allegedly showed her support of the attacks on Israel

Wearing a grey T-shirt and black cardigan, she spoke only to confirm her name, date of birth, address in Brighton, East Sussex, and reply "not guilty" when the charge was put to her during the brief hearing.

Chief magistrate Paul Goldspring granted her conditional bail until she appears at the Old Bailey on December 8. The judge told her: “I am not making any determination today about whether what you did was criminal or not, that is for the jury. If an allegation is made that you have attended any demonstration and you are charged with a criminal offence I will remand you in custody."

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Israel has encircled Gaza City as it continues its onslaught on the Palestinian territory following Hamas’s brutal October 7 attack. With no obvious endgame in sight, many are wondering what might happen once the Israeli Defence Forces’ military objectives of wiping out the terror group have been achieved.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu suggested he did have a plan this week when he said his country would maintain security control indefinitely after its war ends. We asked two Middle East experts their views on the next steps.

What is Israel’s ultimate aim in its war on Gaza? Aaron David Miller says that what Israel has set out to do is “not just to obliterate Hamas as a military organisation but also to end its sovereignty in Gaza”. He adds: “The day after the war is over, Hamas should not be able to threaten Israel with any of its weapons or cross-border incursions, but it should also not be a major factor in governing Gaza.”

Bradley Jolly