Stansted 15 ordered back to court over aggravated trespass case

The Guardian 25/02/2019 – Activists known as the Stansted 15 who were convicted under a terrorism-related law for chaining themselves around an immigration removal flight at Stansted airport have been ordered back to court over the same incident in a move they have described as “cruel and vindictive”. Earlier this month, the activists received suspended sentences or community orders after they were convicted of endangering the safety of an aerodrome following a 10-week trial. The offence carries a potential life sentence. The activists, who are appealing against those convictions, have received letters from Essex magistrates court ordering them to appear in April on an aggravated trespass case. They had initially been charged with this offence before the terror-related charge was added. On Monday, the activists’ lawyer, Raj Chada, of Hodge, Jones & Allen solicitors, sent an urgent letter to Essex CPS urging them to drop the aggravated trespass case. A spokeswoman for the protesters said: 

This latest threat of prosecution is cruel and vindictive. After spending well over half a million pounds on prosecuting and convicting us of a piece of draconian terror-related legislation, to spend more money on trying us for yet another offence isn’t just wasting money, it’s playing cold-hearted games with our lives. “This malicious prosecution is a window in on the kind of psychological punishment people seeking asylum in this country face from the Home Office every single day. Our current immigration system is vicious – that’s why we will not stop standing together to challenge it.