Two pro-Palestine activists have successfully overturned their convictions for allegedly harassing Labour MP Alex Davies-Jones after a landmark appeal ruling that questioned the necessity of their prosecution.
Court Overturns Controversial Convictions
Ayeshah Behit, 32, and Hiba Ahmed, 26 saw their convictions quashed at Cardiff Crown Court this week, reversing a previous guilty verdict handed down at Cardiff Magistrates' Court in June. The pair had been accused of harassing the Pontypridd MP during election campaigning last year.
Judge Tracey Lloyd-Clarke, the Recorder of Cardiff, ruled that the prosecutions were unnecessary and allowed both appeals during Wednesday's hearing. The judge noted that less intrusive measures such as police warnings or civil action had not been pursued before criminal charges were brought.
Confrontation During Election Campaign
The incident occurred on June 26 last year in the village of Treforest, Rhondda Cynon Taf, as Ms Davies-Jones was campaigning ahead of the general election. The court heard that Behit and Ahmed approached the MP with leaflets accusing her of being a "full-blown supporter of this genocide" in reference to the Israel-Hamas conflict.
Ms Davies-Jones told the court she had initially approached the activists to defuse the situation, but the conversation became "more aggressive" and "confrontational." The MP stated that the pair questioned her voting history, specifically why she had abstained from a ceasefire vote in Parliament, though she clarified she had been abroad at the time.
"When we started walking away, they followed us and shouted at me down the street," the Labour MP recounted. Video evidence played in court captured shouts of "Alex Davies-Jones you support genocide" and "What do you think about children being tortured and murdered?" as the MP walked away.
Free Speech Defence Prevails
During the three-day appeal hearing, representatives for the activists argued their actions constituted a reasonable exercise of their right to freedom of expression and did not amount to criminal harassment.
Francesca Cociani, representing the appellants, stated: "This was political speech... it was very clearly to do with Labour Party policy and decisions. It was not only in a public place but it was within her constituency... In the middle of a national campaign for the General Election."
The court heard that accusations of supporting genocide against Labour MPs were not uncommon during the period, with the conflict in Gaza being a matter of significant public debate in the run-up to the election.
While Judge Lloyd-Clarke acknowledged the activists' campaign was "planned and well-orchestrated" and intended to harm Ms Davies-Jones' electoral prospects, she emphasised that "nothing in this judgment implies, or should be taken to imply, that there is any truth in the accusations made by the appellants about Ms Davies-Jones."
Aftermath and Reactions
Following the ruling, Ms Cociani declared: "This is a great day for justice and common sense. It was clear that my clients were exercising their freedom of speech during an election, as they were entitled to do, in our free and democratic country."
The original convictions in June had resulted in Ahmed, who has no previous convictions, receiving a 12-month conditional discharge. Behit, who had a previous conviction relating to a protest in Cardiff last year, was given an 18-month conditional discharge.
The court heard that an edited video of the interaction was later posted on social media, suggesting Ms Davies-Jones was racist and Islamophobic. The MP said she continues to receive abuse on social media as a result of the video.
This ruling establishes significant precedent regarding the boundaries between political protest and harassment, particularly during election periods when public debate is at its most heated.
