Application to Deproscribe Hamas

CAGE International has submitted a landmark legal application (10 June 2025) to the UK Home Secretary, seeking the removal of Harakat al-Muqawamah al-Islamiyyah (Hamas) from the list of proscribed organisations. This unprecedented challenge argues that the proscription violates Articles 10 and 14 of the European Convention on Human Rights by criminalising political expression and disproportionately targeting Muslim communities. The submission includes 24 anonymised case studies across six sectors, revealing a pattern of systemic harm: educators, doctors, activists, and children penalised for pro-Palestine speech, often based on dubious referrals and in a highly politicised regulatory climate. It highlights the weaponisation of Section 12 of the Terrorism Act 2000, which has been used to criminalise online posts, public speech, and peaceful assembly. CAGE contends that these measures suppress legitimate political discourse and enable arbitrary state power, under the guise of national security.

The full legal application can be downloaded below.