Hamas’ high-class Musa Abu Malzuk on Wednesday filed a formal legal application with the UK Home Secretary Yvette Cooper on behalf of the Palestinian group, asking that the designation be removed as a terrorist group.
Marzuk, head of international relations and director of the Political Bureau of Hamas, submitted that Hamas is “Palestinian Islamic liberation and resistance movement aimed at liberating Palestine and facing the Zionist project.”
The filing of more than 100 pages, based on 20 academics, including former ad hoc judge of the John Duggard Court of Justice, argues that prohibiting Hamas represents a violation of the UK’s obligations in international law that is not complicit in genocide.
The submission also argues that the UK ban violates and is disproportionate to the group’s right to freedom of expression and assembly.
The legal team representing Marzuk in the Riverway Act argued that Hamas’ actions may conform to the definition of “terrorism” under British law, but that Israeli military actions and the actions of Ukrainian and British military forces may equally conform to the definition of “terrorism.”
“The client’s application demonstrates the importance of bringing such an application to the UK due to the historic and continuing role the UK government has played in confiscation of Palestinians,” the company said in a post in X.