View all newsletters
Sign up for our free email newsletters

Fighting for quality news media in the digital age.

  1. News
November 15, 2019updated 30 Sep 2022 8:35am

Tommy Robinson libel case over Syrian refugee video reaches High Court

By PA Mediapoint

A libel case against Tommy Robinson over comments he made about a Syrian refugee who was filmed being attacked in a school playground has reached the High Court.

A video showing Jamal Hijazi, then 16, being pushed to the ground and threatened with drowning at Almondbury School in Huddersfield provoked outrage and a flood of public sympathy after it was shared online last year.

English Defence League founder Robinson, 36, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, later commented about the video on Facebook.

Robinson attended a preliminary hearing in London yesterday, which set a timetable for a six-day trial to be heard at some point in 2020.

Jamal’s barrister Ian Helme told the court the claim was brought in relation to the aftermath of “the viral publication of a video last year in which Jamal was horrifically bullied at school”.

Helme added that Robinson, who he described as “a right-wing provocateur”, then published “two videos making very serious allegations against Jamal”.

The barrister said Jamal was “a schoolboy and a Syrian refugee who has faced horrific bullying at school”, adding that the effect of the videos was that he “now has his nascent reputation trashed to 1m people”.

Content from our partners
Unified solution offers publishers unrivalled print and digital efficiency
How DPG Media invested in print technology to help it focus on digital
How to make sure you are social media ready for job hunting

The court heard that Robinson would defend the truth of the statements he made about Jamal at trial.

William Bennett QC, for Robinson, said the case would come down to the “oral testimony of one witness against another”.

He added that his client’s defence would focus on “those people who say they were assaulted by the claimant and the claimant’s denials that he assaulted them”.

In documents filed with the court on Robinson’s behalf, he alleges that the attack on Jamal shown in the video was in retaliation for a threat made earlier that same day.

The value of Jamal’s claim in damages is for up to £100,000.

Picture: Aaron Chown/PA Wire

Topics in this article :

Email pged@pressgazette.co.uk to point out mistakes, provide story tips or send in a letter for publication on our "Letters Page" blog

Select and enter your email address Weekly insight into the big strategic issues affecting the future of the news industry. Essential reading for media leaders every Thursday. Your morning brew of news about the world of news from Press Gazette and elsewhere in the media. Sent at around 10am UK time. Our weekly dose of strategic insight about the future of news media aimed at US readers. A fortnightly update from the front-line of news and advertising. Aimed at marketers and those involved in the advertising industry.
  • Business owner/co-owner
  • CEO
  • COO
  • CFO
  • CTO
  • Chairperson
  • Non-Exec Director
  • Other C-Suite
  • Managing Director
  • President/Partner
  • Senior Executive/SVP or Corporate VP or equivalent
  • Director or equivalent
  • Group or Senior Manager
  • Head of Department/Function
  • Manager
  • Non-manager
  • Retired
  • Other
Visit our privacy Policy for more information about our services, how Progressive Media Investments may use, process and share your personal data, including information on your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications.
Thank you

Thanks for subscribing.

Websites in our network