Britain’s Home Secretary James Cleverly said that his country on Monday declared the Hizb ut-Tahrir group as a proscribed terrorist organization, if agreed by parliament.
“Hizb ut-Tahrir is an antisemitic organization that actively promotes and encourages terrorism, including praising and celebrating the appalling 7 October attacks,” Cleverly said, referring to the Hamas attack on Israel.
“Hizb ut-Tahrir's praise of those attacks as well as describing Hamas as heroes on their website constituted promoting and encouraging terrorism,” the Home Secretary added.
Proscribing this terrorist group will ensure that anyone who belongs to and invites supports for them will be considered as committing a criminal offence in Britain.
The organization has a history of praising and celebrating attacks against Jewish people, Cleverly said.
A UK-based representative for the group did not immediately respond to the British decision. On its website last month, it had described the call to ban the organization as “a sign of the desperation.”
Proscription means that it will be a criminal offence in Britain to belong to or promote the group, arrange its meetings, and carry its logo in public. Those breaching the rules could face up to 14 years in jail.
Cleverly has power to proscribe an organization under British law if the group is believed to be “concerned in terrorism, and it is proportionate to do,” according to the government's website.
The proscription of Hizb ut-Tahrir includes the global organization, as well as all regional branches, including Hizb ut-Tahrir Britain.
Britain's security ministry said that Hizb ut-Tahrir, founded in 1953, has its headquarters in Lebanon, but operates in at least 32 countries including the UK.
Several countries have banned Hizb ut-Tahrir for their various activities.
The order will be debated in Parliament this week and, if approved, Hizb ut-Tahrir will become the 80th organization to be proscribed in the UK.
Other groups who have been proscribed by the British government include al-Qaeda, ISIS, National Action and most recently the Wagner Group.
