From left: Heba Alhayek, 29, and Pauline Ankunda, 26, were convicted of offences under the Terrorism Act at Westminster Magistrates’ Court
Three women have been found guilty of terrorism offences after they displayed images of paragliders, “celebrating” the Hamas tactics.
Heba Alhayek, 29, and Pauline Ankunda, 26, attached images to their backs seven days after Hamas militants used paragliders to enter Israel in October.
Noimutu Olayinka Taiwo, 27, stuck one to a placard’s handle at a central London pro-Palestinian march.
They denied charges under the Terrorism Act.
Image source, Jonathan Brady/PA
Noimutu Olayinka Taiwo, 27, stuck an image of a paraglider to a placard’s handle at a central London pro-Palestinian march, the court was told
Convicting them at Westminster Magistrates’ Court, Deputy Senior District Judge Tan Ikram said: “Seven days earlier, Hamas went into Israel with what was described by the media as paragliders.
“A reasonable person would have seen and read that.
“I do not find a reasonable person would interpret the image merely as a symbol of freedom.”
“I want to be clear, there’s no evidence that any of these defendants are supporters of Hamas, or were seeking to show support for them,” the district judge added.
Image source, Met Police
Images circulated of images of paragliders on the backs of the defendants
The three were charged with carrying or displaying an article to arouse reasonable suspicion that they were supporters of banned organisation Hamas.
Their display of the images at the protest on 14 October was widely condemned when footage of the demonstration was published on social media, their trial was told.
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