Mohammed was 17 years old when he was shot by an Israeli sniper in Bethlehem. Two years on, his family say there is no accountability for his death. Their story is one of dozens from across the West Bank, it is claimed, with human rights organisations calling for child rights to be upheld.
Reform UK's Malcolm Offord claimed one million people came to the UK in the 20th century, and seven million people have come to the UK since 2000. This is not accurate.
Airbnb’s business practices in the West Bank have long been in the spotlight, prompting criticism from human rights campaigners. We can now reveal that the firm has lobbied the Scottish Government 52 times since 2018.
A group campaigning for freedom of expression has condemned multinationals for “years of legal threats” against an activist who spotlights environmental and animal welfare issues caused by industrial salmon farming.
Index On Censorship called for “public interest speech” to be protected after it emerged that a court had banned Don Staniford – who has been campaigning for two decades – from some fish farms in Scotland.
In his latest legal battle, anti fish-farm activist Staniford told Oban Sheriff Court this month he would stay away permanently from property owned by Scottish Sea Farms (SSF) after the company took action against him.
The salmon firm argued that Staniford’s incursions on to fish farms are unlawful, and that his conduct poses a risk to the safety and wellbeing of the company’s staff.
The activist, however, claims the bans imposed are effectively SLAPPs – strategic lawsuits against public participation – preventing him revealing what he regards as the truth about fish farming.
At Oban Sheriff Court, Staniford agreed that he or anyone working for him would “refrain from boarding, entering onto, physically occupying, attaching himself to, attaching vessels to, trespassing upon, all structures, docks, walkways, buildings, yards, floats, vessels, boats, or pens of aquaculture sites of the pursuer [SSF].”
The campaigner is now banned from properties belonging to Scotland’s two biggest salmon farmers, SSF and Mowi – a Norwegian multinational which successfully obtained an injunction to ban Staniford from climbing onto its salmon pens.
Mowi also tried to ban him, but failed, from coming within 15 metres of its property and flying drones over its farms. The three-year legal battle with Mowi left Staniford with a bill of reportedly £82,761 to cover the firm’s legal costs.
Staniford has been opposing salmon farming for more than 20 years. A high profile activist who covertly enters fish farms to film, he regularly posts photos and videos of diseased and dying fish in fish farm pens online.
He was accused by Mowi of distorting the truth, by allegedly editing together images in a way that makes the pens look worse than they are.
Nik Williams, policy and campaigns office at Index on Censorship, said Staniford has “endured years of legal threats and actions” based on his “public interest campaigning” focused on one of Scotland’s “most influential” industries.
He added: “No industry should be exempt from scrutiny. We are awaiting the Scottish Government’s response to the public consultation on SLAPPs that closed earlier this year, and this demonstrates the need for urgent and robust action against the legal actions that restrict public interest speech.”
Staniford said: “It was a bad day in Oban Sheriff Court. The ban is much wider than the interdict won last year by Norwegian giant Mowi in that it also includes land bases.”
A legal firm which represented SSF, is now seeking an interdict (injunction) for Bakkafrost Scotland – a Faroese-owned salmon farmer operating in Scotland – at a hearing on 24 September at Dunoon Sheriff Court.
Mowi, Scottish Sea Farms and Bakkafrost Scotland, were asked to comment.
Main image: iStock and Tero Vesalainen – Second image: Lauren Fair
Mohammed was 17 years old when he was shot by an Israeli sniper in Bethlehem. Two years on, his family say there is no accountability for his death. Their story is one of dozens from across the West Bank, it is claimed, with human rights organisations calling for child rights to be upheld.
Airbnb’s business practices in the West Bank have long been in the spotlight, prompting criticism from human rights campaigners. We can now reveal that the firm has lobbied the Scottish Government 52 times since 2018.
The residents of Umm al-Khair in the West Bank were already reeling from the loss of community leader and English teacher Awdah Hathaleen. Now they are fighting a mass demolition order on their homes. Human rights organisations say it’s become a symbol of the struggles of life under occupation.
The Aquaculture Stewardship Council monitors standards at Scottish fish farms to help consumers choose “environmentally and socially responsible” farmed seafood. But it showcased a farm that had breached its rules on sea lice 11 times.
