Well-known British journalist Richard Medhurst now finds himself facing accusations from Austrian authorities, who claim he is linked to the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas. The charges follow a wave of arrests and home raids, reportedly tied to his outspoken views on Palestine.

Medhurst’s legal troubles began in August 2023, when upon landing at Heathrow Airport in London, he was immediately surrounded by six law enforcement officers. They informed him he was being arrested under Section 12 of the Terrorism Act—legislation often cited in cases involving proscribed organizations.

In a nine-minute video he later uploaded, Medhurst described his treatment in custody. “I was placed in solitary confinement, in a cold cell that smelt like urine. There was no light, and the bed—if you can even call it a bed—was simply a small concrete ledge with a paper-thin mattress,” he recounted. He also stated that at no point was it made clear what, specifically, he was being charged with.

The UK’s legal battle against Medhusrt shows no sign of slowing. Recently, the investigation into the embattled journalist was extended for another three months, requiring him to report for another check-in regarding his case. Then, on February 6, he posted a video on his social media pages revealing that Austrian authorities had raided his home in Vienna. Nearly all of his electronic equipment was confiscated, marking yet another escalation in what he describes as an ongoing campaign of political persecution.

I was detained this week by the Austrian police and intelligence services.

They raided my house, office, and took all my devices.

They are accusing me of being a member of Hamas and threatened me with 10 years in prison.

Journalism is not a crime. pic.twitter.com/gztm4bmLuY

— Richard Medhurst (@richimedhurst) February 6, 2025

“They essentially lured me into a trap,” the British journalist said of the Austrian authorities. “I received a letter from the government last week, from immigration, summoning me for some interview about my residency,” he stated. But when he arrived, he was met with a different line of questioning—one focused not on bureaucratic formalities but on his political views.

Medhurst was soon threatened with the revocation of his residency before being arrested by Austrian intelligence agents. His home was raided, and nearly all of his electronic equipment was seized. While it was clear that the well-known journalist had been targeted for his outspoken criticism of the ongoing genocide in Gaza—commentary that has gained significant traction over the past 16 months—the exact charges against him remained ambiguous until later.

Then, on February 9, Medhurst published an update on his predicament, revealing the severity of the allegations against him.

“The Vienna state prosecutor accuses me of being a Hamas member, specifically the military wing Izzal Din Qassam Brigades, since at least July 2024 and working to ‘destroy Israel and establish a worldwide Islamic caliphate,’” he stated.

Medhurst, a British Christian of Armenian-Syrian descent, has publicly stated that he believes that Palestinians living under occupation have the right to armed resistance under the Fourth Geneva Convention. However, no evidence suggests he supports Hamas or any specific Palestinian political or armed faction.

What makes the accusation even more dubious is the claim that he seeks to “establish a worldwide Islamic caliphate”—a concept that Hamas itself explicitly rejects. Hamas and its armed wing define themselves as a localized Palestinian national liberation movement focused solely on resisting Israeli occupation. The group has never advocated for a global Islamic caliphate and has not conducted military operations outside the borders of historic Palestine.

The notion that a Christian British journalist based in Vienna has joined the military wing of a Palestinian faction—one that does not seek territorial expansion beyond Palestine—strains credibility to an almost absurd degree.

British authorities have increasingly relied on anti-terrorism legislation to target pro-Palestine journalists and activists, including Richard Medhurst, the Electronic Intifada’s Asa Winstanley, and 61-year-old activist Sarah Wilkinson. The application of the Terrorism Act against members of Palestine Action has drawn international scrutiny, prompting four United Nations officials to formally raise concerns with the UK government over the treatment of political activists.

The charges against Medhurst are not only an attack on his personal freedoms but a reminder of the deteriorating room for dissent in Western democracies. When governments use counterterrorism laws as a weapon against journalists and dissenters, the lines between national security and political repression become blurred. Austria’s case is not just about Medhurst—it is about the fate of free speech itself.

Feature photo | @richimedhurst | X.com

Robert Inlakesh is a political analyst, journalist and documentary filmmaker currently based in London, UK. He has reported from and lived in the occupied Palestinian territories and hosts the show ‘Palestine Files’. Director of ‘Steal of the Century: Trump’s Palestine-Israel Catastrophe’. Follow him on Twitter @falasteen47

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