A cafe owner in northern England has said British police offered him financial incentives and promised to turn a blind eye to some low-level offences if he informed on the proscribed group Palestine Action.

The Guardian reported on Saturday that a man named Shams Sadiq, the owner of two cafes in Manchester, said he was offered inducements by the police.

The offers were made when he went to pick up electronic devices confiscated by police during his arrest last year over alleged offences linked to Palestine Action, Sadiq said.

The direct action group was proscribed last year after members broke into a military air base. The ban made expressing support for, or membership of, the group a criminal offence punishable by up to 14 years in prison.

Sadiq said he went to Ashton-under-Lyne Police Station on 15 May, where two officers asked to speak with him “man to man”.

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The officers said they had checked his devices and knew he was “fully involved” with Palestine Action, but said he would not be charged in connection with last year's arrest.

“They said to me: ‘We need your help. Look, there’s benefits in helping us,’” he told The Guardian. “I’m like: ‘What kind of benefits? Financial benefits? Are you going to pay my taxes?’ They said: ‘Oh, we can help with things like that.’

“The other guy said to me: ‘Oh, there’s other benefits, too.’ They said: ‘We’re not saying you can go out and commit a serious crime, but we can turn a blind eye to certain things.’”

Sadiq asked the officers if it was possible to cancel the speeding tickets he received, to which they said: “We don’t care about speeding.”

The 51-year-old said he interpreted "help" to mean aiding investigations into Palestine Action.

“They also said I’m quite respected in my community, so maybe they think I would help them find Muslims in the mosque with extreme views,” he added to The Guardian.

Schedule 7 stop at airport

Sadiq said he remained under investigation over an alleged Palestine Action-related offence in 2024.

He added that four days before the offer from officers, he was questioned - but not arrested - at Manchester Airport under Schedule 7 of the Terrorism Act.

Sadiq said he was questioned about Palestine Action, Iran and his financial situation, and was asked what he would do if someone next to him at the mosque had extreme views.

He was held for three hours and his devices were again confiscated. They were returned a few days later.

Sadiq is known in the area for his pro-Palestine activism and involvement with marches. Local media reported last year that one of his cafes was targeted, with Israeli flags stuck to its door.

Sadiq told The Guardian that during the meeting at the police station, officers said they would protect his family and that they did not need an immediate decision. Instead, they gave him a number to text.

He said he decided to go public to ensure his safety after rejecting the offer.

Lawyer Simon Pook said he would make a formal complaint to the police on Sadiq's behalf and likened the conduct to the behaviour of the British state during the Troubles in Northern Ireland.

“We’re unhappy that he was put in that position and offered inducements to work for the state,” said Pook.

“Was the intention always to use Schedule 7 in order to offer the inducement? If that is the true intention, Schedule 7 was used unlawfully, because it’s got to be used where you believe somebody may be involved in or in an act of preparation of terrorism.”

Greater Manchester Police said it was unable to comment on the matter.

Since Palestine Action was proscribed, hundreds of people have been arrested and charged with supporting the group.

They include Swedish activist Greta Thunberg, who was arrested in December for holding a placard reading: "I support the Palestine Action prisoners. I oppose genocide."

Officials such as UN human rights chief Volker Turk have criticised the ban for using terrorism legislation to combat activities that constitute "legitimate exercise of fundamental freedom".

"The decision appears disproportionate and unnecessary," Turk said last July.

middleeasteye.net

Cafe owner says UK police tried to recruit him to spy on Palestine Action

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