Trump Team Urges UK To ‘Free Tommy Robinson’ During State Visit

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July 14, 2018 Baxter Dmitry News, US 0
The United States Ambassador for International Religious Freedom has demanded that the British government "free Tommy Robinson."
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The United States Ambassador for International Religious Freedom has demanded that the British government “free Tommy Robinson” and lodged a complaint with the British ambassador in Washington D.C. regarding the treatment of the imprisoned journalist.

U.S. Ambassador Sam Brownback warned the UK that they must “free Tommy Robinson” in order to comply with religious freedom and must treat Robinson “more sympathetically” or President Trump, currently on a state visit to the UK, may condemn Britain’s handling of the case.

Robinson was arrested in late May outside a courthouse in Leeds, England, while reporting on a trial related to Muslim grooming gangs and jailed for 13 months for violating English law limiting publicity during criminal trials.

Reuters reported: Sam Brownback, the U.S. Ambassador for International Religious Freedom, complained to the British ambassador in Washington D.C. about the treatment of an English right-wing activist who is in jail for disrupting a trial, according to three sources familiar with the discussion.

Brownback raised the case of the activist Tommy Robinson in a June meeting with Sir Kim Darroch, Britain’s Ambassador to the United States, according to a British official and two sources close to the organizers of a pro-Robinson demonstration planned for London on Saturday.

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Tommy Robinson, reporter and activist (left) and President Donald Trump, whose staff are campaigning for Robinson’s release from prison.

Brownback raised the jailing of Tommy Robinson during a meeting with Darroch that covered a range of “religious freedom issues”, the British official confirmed earlier this week.

Brownback told Darroch that if Britain did not treat Robinson more sympathetically, the Trump administration might be compelled to criticize Britain’s handling of the case, according to the two sources in contact with organizers of the planned pro-Robinson demonstration.

The sources said Tommy Robinson’s supporters, who have also been in touch with the Trump administration about the issue, were concerned that he could be attacked by other prisoners.

Baxter Dmitry

Baxter Dmitry

Baxter Dmitry is a writer at News Punch. He covers politics, business and entertainment. Speaking truth to power since he learned to talk, Baxter has travelled in over 80 countries and won arguments in every single one. Live without fear.
Email: baxter@newspunch.com
Baxter Dmitry

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