British far-right activist Tommy Robinson, real name Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, has been sentenced to 18 months in prison for contempt of court following his repeated defiance of a High Court order. The order prohibited him from spreading false claims about a Syrian refugee, who previously won a libel case against him.
Robinson, known for his anti-Muslim and anti-immigrant rhetoric, admitted on Monday to ten breaches of the 2021 injunction. Sentencing him at Woolwich Crown Court, Judge Jeremy Johnson condemned Robinson’s actions as a planned, deliberate, direct, flagrant breach of the court’s orders.
Judge Johnson asserted, “Nobody is above the law,” and stressed that following injunctions is essential for community welfare. Robinson’s contempt includes his involvement in distributing a film called Silenced, which the court identified as containing libellous content about the refugee.
Robinson, who turned himself in on Friday, missed a court hearing in July, prompting an arrest warrant. His lawyers argued that he breached the injunction on “principles,” positioning himself as a free speech advocate.
Despite Robinson’s legal troubles, his online following has grown since his reinstatement on X (formerly Twitter), especially among anti-immigrant protestors. Earlier this year, chants of his name could be heard at anti-immigrant riots across the UK.