Far-right activist Tommy Robinson was stopped and questioned by police under counter-terrorism powers after arriving back in the UK from Russia, according to reports on Saturday.
Robinson, 43, said on social media that he was detained at Heathrow Airport for “the best part of three hours” after landing. Reacting to the incident online, he wrote: “I’m a terrorist again.”
Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, has a criminal record that includes convictions for violent offences, public order crimes and fraud. The former founder of the English Defence League had been in Moscow, where he met Errol Musk, the father of Tesla billionaire Elon Musk.
During the trip, he also attended an annual Kremlin-backed economic forum often described as Russia’s equivalent of Davos.
In a statement, the Metropolitan Police said: “Officers stopped a man in his 40s at Heathrow Airport at around 5pm on Saturday, 13 June, following his return to the UK from Russia via Turkey.”
In a statement, the Met said: ‘Officers stopped a man in his 40s at Heathrow Airport at around 5pm on Saturday, 13 June, following his return to the UK from Russia via Turkey.
‘He was stopped under the provisions of Schedule 3 of the Counter Terrorism and Border Security Act 2019.
‘The man was interviewed by officers and his communication devices were seized.
Tommy Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, was held by police at Heathrow airport under counter-terror laws
‘He was subsequently released.’
Robinson suggested he was going to take legal action following his temporary detention.
He wrote on social media: ‘I have been detained at Heathrow Airport today for the best part of three hours.
‘I was detained under section 3 of the Counter-Terrorism and Border Security Act 2019.
‘My phone has been seized by the police.
‘So here we go again, looks like more defence and court fees ffs!!!
‘Absolute f***ing madness.’
He suggested he was grilled because the Government want ‘to see who (Robinson) is talking to’.
Robinson previously appeared at a demonstration in Southampton over the case of murdered student Henry Nowak
Robinson posted a video of himself meeting Elon Musk’s father Errol in Russia
Robinson arrived in the UK ahead of his scheduled appearance at the Oxford Union for a discussion on Islam.
The student debate society has advertised a debate on social media titled The West Is Right To Be Suspicious Of Islam to take place on Wednesday.
Speakers also include fellow hard-right voice Laurence Fox and former Tory MP Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg.
Earlier this month, Robinson appeared at a demonstration in Southampton following the sentencing of a Sikh man for murdering university student Henry Nowak.
Vickrum Digwa, 23, was sentenced on June 1 to a minimum of 21 years in prison for the fatal stabbing of Mr Nowak last year.
The 18-year-old student was placed in handcuffs as he lay dying on the ground after being stabbed by Digwa with a ceremonial religious sword.
The demonstration materialised despite Mr Nowak’s father, Mark, making an emotional plea outside court for his son’s murder not to be used to ‘create further hatred, division or tension’.
Robinson took to social media earlier in the day of the protest, in which he described Mr Nowak’s death as ‘horrific’ while calling on supporters to attend a protest outside Southampton police station that evening.
Dozens of people were subsequently arrested and charged after disorder broke out.
The protest began outside Southampton Police Station before moving towards Digwa’s family home, where bins were set on fire and residents’ cars were vandalised.
