Last week, Austrian authorities detained independent journalist Richard Medhurst in connection to his criticism of Israel’s genocide in Gaza. This added to his previous harassment at the hands of British authorities. And while “Austrian mainstream press picked up the story”, he said, UK mainstream media outlets are “still asleep at the wheel 5 months later”. He tweeted:
At least the Austrian mainstream press had the decency to cover what happened to me.
It’s been 5 months I was arrested at Heathrow— even the UN complained to Keir Starmer— and not a word in the UK press.
Why are they so afraid of covering this crackdown? Ashamed much?
Medhurst: MSM silent on the “hostile environment for journalists and activists”
In Austria, authorities are reportedly accusing Medhurst of:
being a Hamas member, specifically the military wing Izzal Din Qassam Brigades, since at least July 2024 and working to “destroy Israel and establish a worldwide Islamic caliphate*.
As he stressed, he “can’t even begin to deconstruct how wild this is”, as a “Christian Englishman“. He added “it’s like reading something out of The Twilight Zone”. He now believes, “with utmost certainty”, that:
freedom of speech and a free press do not exist in the West.
Palestine Action seems to agree, insisting that:
Europe is trying to create a hostile environment for journalists and activists who oppose genocide.
Europe is trying to create a hostile environment for journalists and activists who oppose genocide.
Don't let them win. Stand up to every abuse of power and show that we will not be intimidated into complacency. https://t.co/T6y2IsOec7
— Palestine Action (@Pal_action) February 9, 2025
Medhurst has asked for financial support to cover the costs of the equipment “the police robbed me of”.
Featured image via the Canary
By Ed Sykes
This post was originally published on Canary.