Politics
Activist exonerated in major victory after Hindutva riot conviction overturned
LONDON: In a monumental legal victory, Leicester-based Muslim activist Majid Freeman has been exonerated after a retrial led to the quashing of his conviction for a public order offence related to the 2022 Hindutva-inspired riots in Leicester.
Freeman, whose parents are originally from Indian Gujarat and who has spent the last three years facing relentless legal pressure, is now officially vindicated as he has been cleared of all charges. Geo News has extensively covered the aftermath of the riots and had interviewed Majid Freeman and other activists from all communities.
Freeman, who was imprisoned in 2024 after being convicted of “intending immediate unlawful violence” and using abusive language towards a police officer during the unrest, has seen his conviction overturned after the retrial confirmed the evidence against Freeman was baseless.
Judge Robert Brown, presiding over the case at Leicester Crown Court, stated that the prosecution had failed to prove Freeman’s intent, adding that Freeman’s positive contributions to the community were clear.
“We have listened with great care to the evidence provided by Mr Freeman. As a witness, he impressed us. He was measured, restrained, and showed humility when providing evidence,” Judge Brown said. “It is clear that he has consistently worked as a bridge-builder with the police to foster harmony in his community.”
“We are not satisfied that the Crown has proven that Mr Freeman acted with intent, and we have quashed his conviction following the appeal,” Judge Brown added.
Though the police officers involved in the events of September 17, 2022, were acknowledged for their efforts, the judge found the allegations against Freeman — ranging from pushing an officer to provoking violence — insufficient and unsubstantiated. The court noted Freeman’s use of strong language but emphasised that there is a vast difference between heated speech and actual threats.
Critical evidence presented during the retrial and police body-worn footage revealed Freeman’s attempt to de-escalate the situation on the night of the disorder. In fact, Freeman had been at Spinney Hill Police Station just hours before the violence erupted, where he was thanked by Leicestershire Police for his role in calming tensions.
Speaking outside the courthouse after the ruling, Freeman expressed his relief and frustration at the prolonged legal battle. “Today, I stand fully exonerated after a long and deeply distressing prosecution by Leicestershire Police. For more than three years, this case has loomed over my family and me, causing immense anxiety and strain. No one should have to endure such an ordeal for standing with their community and working to prevent harm,” Freeman said.
Freeman was visibly shaken by the toll the case had taken on him and his loved ones. “Despite serious provocation, I consistently called for calm, and as the court heard today, I helped save the life of a young Hindu man on the night of the unrest,” Freeman continued. “I worked alongside community leaders, councillors, and the police to de-escalate tensions and protect lives. The evidence made that clear.”
Freeman did not hold back his anger at the injustice he had faced: “I did not incite disorder. Instead, ordinary people were left to protect their communities when the police failed to keep the peace. Instead of reflecting on their own failings, Leicestershire Police chose to pursue someone they had previously relied upon. I am relieved this ordeal has ended, and I hope today’s outcome leads to serious reflection on the real threat of Hindutva extremism, which has been ignored for far too long.”
The Leicester unrest of 2022 was triggered by heightened religious tensions between the Muslim and Hindu communities, inflamed by the arrival of Hindutva ideology in the UK. This radical, supremacist ideology, which has been linked to violent sectarianism in India, found its way onto the streets of Leicester, leading to the violent clashes that Freeman was wrongfully accused of inciting.
On September 17, a mob of approximately 300 BJP and RSS supporters, many of whom were masked and carrying weapons, marched toward a Muslim-majority area in Leicester, chanting provocative slogans. Tensions rapidly escalated, resulting in missile throwing, injuries, and clashes between the two communities.
During the retrial, key witnesses came forward to speak about Freeman’s peacekeeping efforts during the riots. Local Hindu resident Ajay Nagla, who had known Freeman for years, was among the most compelling witnesses. He testified that Freeman was actively working to calm tensions and that right-wing extremists were the primary instigators of the violence.
“I was trying to do the same thing, trying to defuse the situation,” Nagla said. “I did not see Majid use violence. He was working to calm things down.” Nagla’s testimony, along with other local accounts, highlighted Freeman’s heroic role in preventing further bloodshed.
Additionally, a Sky News video from the night of the unrest was presented as key evidence. The footage showed Freeman shielding a local Hindu man, Ram Keshwala, from a violent mob.
The UK Islamic Mission (UKIMC) issued a statement celebrating Freeman’s acquittal, declaring: “This judgment decisively overturns the earlier conviction and marks an important moment of justice. It is a clear rejection of the Hindutva-aligned narrative that sought to portray Muslims as the sole instigators of the unrest.”
Claudia Webbe, the former MP for Leicester East, also expressed her support for Freeman, stating in a statement after the ruling: “As a former MP for Leicester East, I regarded Majid Freeman as a trusted mediator, anti-knife crime campaigner, and community organiser doing good deeds who sought to bring harmony to communities. I welcome his acquittal and was pleased to provide evidence in support.”
Speaking outside the court, Freeman reaffirmed his dedication to empowering the local Muslim community, fostering interfaith dialogue, and championing human rights.
“With the legal victory in this case behind me, I now turn my attention to the upcoming Gaza-related trial in April, where I face accusations of supporting terrorism simply for speaking out against genocide. InshaAllah, I will be exonerated once again,” Freeman declared, expressing his gratitude for the continued support of his community.
- JD Vance spox denies report pushing diplomacy over Iran strikes.
- Iran says nuclear talks with US ongoing despite rising tensions.
- Iranians use Starlink to bypass nationwide internet blackout.
WASHINGTON: Some senior aides in President Donald Trump’s administration, led by Vice President JD Vance, are urging Trump to try diplomacy before strikes against Iran, the Wall Street Journal reported Monday, citing US officials.
The White House was weighing an offer from Tehran to engage in talks regarding its nuclear program as Trump seemed to eye authorising military action against Iran.
A spokesman for Vance said the Journal’s report was not accurate.
“Vice President Vance and Secretary of State Rubio together are presenting a suite of options to the president, ranging from a diplomatic approach to military actions,” said William Martin, Vance’s communications director. “They are presenting those options without bias or favour.”
The development came a day after Tehran said it was keeping communication channels with Washington open as US President Donald Trump considered how to respond to Iran’s tackling of nationwide protests.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said Tehran was studying ideas proposed by Washington, though these were “incompatible” with US threats.
“Communications between (US special envoy Steve) Witkoff and me continued before and after the protests and are still ongoing,” he told Al Jazeera.
Adding to threats of military action, Trump late on Monday announced that any country doing business with Iran, a major oil producer, will face a new tariff of 25% on its exports to the US.
“This Order is final and conclusive,” Trump said in a social media post, without providing further detail about the legal authority he would use to impose the tariffs, or whether they would be aimed at all of Iran’s trading partners.
The White House did not respond to a request for comment.
Iran’s mission to the United Nations in New York declined to comment on Trump’s tariff announcement. Iran, already under heavy US sanctions, exports much of its oil to China, with Turkiye, Iraq, the United Arab Emirates, and India among its other top trading partners.
Meanwhile, some Iranians are still using Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite internet service despite a nationwide communications blackout, three people inside the country said, the latest example of Starlink being used to counter internet shutdowns in geopolitical flashpoints.
But Starlink, which beams its service directly from thousands of low-earth orbit satellites, is still working in some places in Iran, despite being banned by authorities there, three people using Starlink in the country told Reuters. One of them, in Western Iran, said he knew dozens of people using Starlink and that users in border towns and cities were largely unaffected.
Alp Toker, founder of internet monitoring group NetBlocks, said he has heard from people in the region that there is still some Starlink access in Iran, though service appears reduced.
“It is patchy, but still there,” he said.
- Trump weighs further options on US action against Iran.
- Uses tariff leverage throughout second term against many nations.
- Iran facing biggest anti-government protests in years.
WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump said on Monday any country that does business with Iran will face a tariff rate of 25% on trade with the US, as Washington weighs a response to the situation in Iran, which is seeing its biggest anti-government protests in years.
“Effective immediately, any country doing business with the Islamic Republic of Iran will pay a tariff of 25% on any and all business being done with the United States of America,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social.
Tariffs are paid by US importers of goods from those countries. Iran has been heavily sanctioned by Washington for years.
“This order is final and conclusive,” Trump said without providing any further detail. Top export destinations for Iranian goods include China, the United Arab Emirates and India.
There was no official documentation from the White House about the policy on its website, nor information about the legal authority Trump would use to impose the tariffs, or whether they would be aimed at all of Iran’s trading partners. The White House did not respond to a request for comment.
Iran, which had a 12-day war with US ally Israel last year and whose nuclear facilities the US military bombed in June, is seeing its biggest anti-government demonstrations in years.
Trump has said the US may meet Iranian officials and that he was in contact with Iran’s opposition, while piling pressure on its leaders, including threatening military action.
Tehran said on Monday it was keeping communication channels with Washington open as Trump considered how to respond to the situation in Iran, which has posed one of the gravest tests of clerical rule in the country since the Islamic Revolution in 1979.
Demonstrations evolved from complaints about dire economic hardships to defiant calls for the fall of the deeply entrenched clerical establishment. US-based rights group HRANA said it had verified the deaths of 599 people – 510 protesters and 89 security personnel – since the protests began on December 28.
While airstrikes were one of many alternatives open to Trump, “diplomacy is always the first option for the president,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Monday.
During the course of his second term in office, Trump has often threatened and imposed tariffs on other countries over their ties with US adversaries and over trade policies that he has described as unfair to Washington.
Trump’s trade policy is under legal pressure as the US Supreme Court is considering striking down a broad swathe of Trump’s existing tariffs.
Iran, a member of the OPEC oil producers’ group, exported products to 147 trading partners in 2022, according to the World Bank’s most recent data.
- Araghchi says Iran not seeking war but fully prepared for it.
- Iran fighting a “four-front war”, says Bagher Ghalibaf.
- Ghalibaf warns of “unforgettable lesson” if Iran attacked.
Iranian authorities on Monday sought to regain control of the streets with mass nationwide rallies in the wake of protests on a scale unprecedented in recent years.
The foreign minister said Iran was ready for both war and talks after repeated threats from Washington to intervene militarily over the crackdown on protests, which activists fear has left at least hundreds dead.
Over two weeks of demonstrations initially sparked by economic grievances have turned into one of the biggest challenges yet to the theocratic system that has ruled Iran since the 1979 Islamic revolution ousted the shah.
In a sign of the severity of the crisis, the authorities have imposed an internet blackout lasting more than three-and-a-half days that activists say is aimed at masking the extent of the crackdown.
Thousands of people filled the capital’s Enghelab (Revolution) Square, brandishing the national flag as prayers were read for victims of what the government has termed “riots”, state TV showed.
Addressing the crowds, parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said Iran is fighting a “four-front war”, listing economic war, psychological war, “military war” with the United States and Israel and “today a war against terrorists”, referring to the protests.
Flanked by the slogans “Death to Israel, Death to America” in Persian, he vowed the Iranian military would teach US President Donald Trump “an unforgettable lesson” if Iran were attacked.
Trump said Sunday that Iran’s leadership under Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in power since 1989 and now 86, had called him seeking “to negotiate” after he repeatedly threatened to intervene militarily if Tehran killed protesters.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran is not seeking war but is fully prepared for war,” Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told a conference of foreign ambassadors in Tehran broadcast by state television.
“We are also ready for negotiations but these negotiations should be fair, with equal rights and based on mutual respect.”
Foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said a channel of communication is open between Araghchi and Trump’s special envoy for the Middle East Steve Witkoff despite the lack of diplomatic relations.
Meanwhile, the foreign minister of Oman, which has on occasion acted as a mediator, met Araghchi in Tehran on Saturday.
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