Arab Press

بالشعب و للشعب
Monday, Apr 06, 2026

Refusing to unlock your phone? Jail. UK judge sentences activist under TERRORISM law

Refusing to unlock your phone? Jail. UK judge sentences activist under TERRORISM law

The leader of the anti-immigrant group Britain First was fined and given a suspended sentence for refusing to unlock his phone and computer to police after returning from a trip to Russia last year, under UK anti-terrorism laws.

Paul Golding, 38, was ordered to pay a £21 ($26) surcharge and £750 ($918) in costs, and given a nine-month “conditional discharge” by Chief Magistrate Emma Arbuthnot at the Westminster Magistrates’ Court in London on Wednesday.

He was charged with “wilfully refusing to comply” under Schedule 7 of the Terrorism Act. Police testified that Golding had refused their demand to unlock his iPhone and Apple computer when they stopped him at Heathrow Airport on October 23 last year, as he returned from a trip to Moscow.


Arbuthnot said that the stop did not require “reasonable suspicion” under Schedule 7, and that there was “no doubt” that Golding failed to comply with police orders.

Schedule 7 of the Terrorism Act, passed in 2000, authorizes police to interrogate, search and detain anyone for up to six hours at UK ports of entry, as well as question people “in order to make a determination of whether they are or have been concerned in the commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism,” in the words of Constable Rory O’Connor, who testified at the trial.

Golding has described Britain First as “patriotic, right-wing, conservative” but the group has been described by the media as “far-right” extremists, while its criticism of immigrants has been labeled “Islamophobic.” The group has fewer than 1,000 members and was deregistered as a political party in 2017, after failing to pay a £25 and file the proper paperwork.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Arab Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Iranian Drone Strike on US Embassy in Saudi Arabia Reportedly Targeted Intelligence Facility
Saudi Deputy Foreign Minister Meets French Embassy Official to Strengthen Bilateral Engagement
Saudi Arabia Calls on United States to Seize Strategic Opportunity to Reshape Middle East
Dating Apps Surge in Saudi Arabia as Social Norms Rapidly Evolve Among Youth
Saudi Arabia Detains Over Fourteen Thousand Illegal Residents in Week-Long Enforcement Drive
Saudi Foreign Minister Engages in Diplomatic Talks with Pakistan, Kuwait and Latvia on Regional Developments
Saudi Arabia Intercepts Cruise Missile as Regional Tensions Intensify
Saudi Stock Market Edges Higher as Tadawul Index Records Modest Gain
Underlying Rivalry Between Saudi Arabia and UAE Persists Despite Temporary Calm
Saudi Arabia’s Non-Oil Sector Contracts in March as Regional Tensions Weigh on Business Activity
Saudi Arabia Unveils Ambition to Establish Prestigious Global Prize Rivaling the Nobel
Saudi Crown Prince to Engage Wall Street in Push for Investment and Economic Expansion
Iran Accuses Saudi Arabia and UAE After Downing of Chinese-Made Drone
Saudi Arabia Condemns Attack on Hospital in Sudan, Calls for Protection of Civilians
Coordinated Drone Strike Targets CIA Facility Within US Embassy in Saudi Arabia
Italy’s Meloni Prioritises Energy Security and Strait of Hormuz Stability During Gulf Tour
Uncertainty Emerges Over Timeline and Direction of Saudi Arabia’s Ambitious Ski Resort Project
UAE and Saudi Arabia Escalate Strategy with Drone Operations Targeting Iran
Trump Delivers Characteristic Remarks on Saudi Crown Prince Amid Intensifying Iran Conflict
Drone Strike on US Embassy in Riyadh Caused Greater Damage Than First Reported
Saudi Arabia Introduces Flexible Solutions for Expired Visas Amid Regional Disruptions
Saudi Arabia’s Online Car Market Accelerates with AI Pricing and Fully Digital Buying Experience
Saudi Arabia Reassesses Defence Strategy as Iranian Drone Threat Drives Shift in Military Partnerships
Drone Strikes Target Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Bahrain as Regional Conflict Intensifies
Japan and Saudi Arabia Align Efforts to Ease Rising Tensions with Iran
Saudi Crown Prince and Italy’s Meloni Strengthen Strategic Ties in High-Level Talks
SpaceX Explores Potential Five Billion Dollar Investment from Saudi Sovereign Wealth Fund Ahead of IPO
Saudi Arabia Lifts Key Import Barriers to Expand Access for U.S. Beef Exports
Saudi Arabia Enforces Strict Travel Penalties for Visits to Restricted Countries
Italy’s Meloni Embarks on Strategic Gulf Tour to Address Energy Security and Regional Stability
Saudi Film Festival Rescheduled to Summer as Regional Tensions Continue
Saudi Arabia Reports Forty Two Point Six Billion Dollars in Foreign Tourist Spending in 2025
Saudi Crown Prince and Russian President Hold Strategic Call on Escalating Regional Crisis
Saudi Arabia Advances Rail Network as Strategic Alternative to Strait of Hormuz Shipping Route
Ruanyun Edai Launches Saudi Arabia Hub With Forecast of Ten Percent Revenue Growth
Greek Defence Minister Visits Troops in Saudi Arabia Following Successful Missile Interception
Saudi Arabia Expands Global Strategy With Focus on African Critical Minerals
SpaceX Explores Potential Five Billion Dollar Investment From Saudi Fund Ahead of Possible IPO
US Central Command Dismisses Iranian Claim of Mass Casualties Among American Personnel in Saudi Arabia
Co-Diagnostics to Establish Molecular Diagnostics Facility in Saudi Arabia Through Joint Venture
Trump Engages Saudi Crown Prince in Talks on Potential Iran Ceasefire
Saudi Arabia’s Sadara Suspends Operations as Supply Chain Disruptions Intensify
Saudi Arabia Accelerates Energy Shift by Trading Oil Revenues for Battery Investments
Saudi Arabia Introduces Flexible Options for Expired Visas Amid Regional Disruptions
Online Narratives Surge as Iran–US Tensions Spill Into Digital Arena Following Trump Remarks
Saudi Arabia Urges Trump to Seize Strategic Moment as UAE Weighs Ground Deployment
Saudi Arabia Redirects Nearly One Million Barrels of Oil Daily Away from Strait of Hormuz
Saudi Arabia Carries Out Execution of Businessman Linked to 2011 Qatif Unrest
Ukraine–Saudi Defense Pact Signals Rising Demand for Battlefield Expertise
Saudi Arabia Balances Diplomacy and Defense Preparedness Amid Iran Conflict
×