Politics
“Bile and venom”: vindicated Greenstein describes judge’s “determination” to convict
Jewish anti-genocide activist Tony Greenstein was dramatically acquitted on Friday as the UK state attempted to brand him a terrorist. Greenstein triumphed after giving his own “historic” closing speech. He triumphed despite the attempts of the prosecutor and judge to limit his defence and keep the jury in ignorance of the full facts.
“Bile and venom” from the judge, says Greenstein
And now, he has moved from being the defendant to going on the offensive – and his first target is trial judge Sarah Plaschkes. Typical of Greenstein, he does not pull any punches. In a new article, he accuses the judge of:
Spew[ing Bile & Venom as Her Determination to Have Me Convicted was Thwarted.
Ever willing to tweak the Israel lobby’s nose, Greenstein adds that “the Zionists are furious” at the mere two hours it took the jury to return a unanimous not-guilty verdict.
And while human rights group CAGE described Greenstein’s win “affirms supporting Palestine liberation is not a crime”, Greenstein says he began the week not knowing whether he’d return a free man or be locked up for up to fourteen years. And with the altriusm typical of the humanitarian movement that opposes Israel’s genocide, he was thinking ahead to ensure the vulnerable were not left unsupported:
When I set out from Brighton for Kingston-upon-Thames last Monday, I was not sure that I would be coming back anytime soon. I made sure to turn off my electrical appliances.
In the weeks leading up to the trial I had made elaborate arrangements for others to continue the appeal for the Al Tafawk Children’s Centre in Jenin. It would have been devastating if the children of Al Tafawk were to suffer because of my ‘crimes’.
A trusted friend was given full access to my email account and she also had a key to my flat and hence access to my computer. I also ensured that before I went into the dock for what could be my last appearance that I handed my phone to another friend. I also said goodbye to two of my children, James and Ellie, who were in the public gallery.
But then he returns to the judge, whom he – and a few paragraphs haven’t softened him. This time, he takes aim at her bad grace – even when she knew the jury had sided with Greenstein, she couldn’t resist trying to dismiss his closing speech:
Plaschkes was one of the most unpleasant and dishonest people I’ve ever had the misfortune to encounter.
When the jury returned she made an extraordinary statement, fully knowing the jury’s verdict. She said that she had considered citing me for contempt of court but had decided against it as my speech was the ‘ramblings of an old man.’ She was sure that the jury’s decision had not been affected by my speech!
For a moment I thought that maybe they had found me guilty after all but when a jury returns after just 2 hours 11 minutes, it is very likely that they have all agreed on a not guilty verdict. When asked their verdict the foreman of the jury pronounced ‘not guilty.’ It was, as you can imagine, an immense relief. Plaschkes exited the court full of fury signifying nothing apart from her own humourless and vapid character. It was like a bad smell disappearing.
Systemic bias
Then Greenstein turns his fire on bias – not just in the judge, but the whole system arrayed against him and the anti-genocide movement:
Plaschke’s Bias
Her bias was truly appalling. Back in January at what was supposed to be the hearing, Plaschkes had turned down our application for the prosecution to be declared an abuse of process.
Section 117 (2A) of the Terrorism Act 2000 states that for an offence relating to a country outside the UK, a prosecution may only proceed with the consent of the Attorney General. However Attorney General, Richard Hermer excused himself, on the grounds of a conflict of interest.
Sarah Sackman – the Solicitor General Who Authorised My Prosecution – Dedicated Zionist – But No Bias According to the Reactionary LJ Edis of the Court of Appeal – Sackperson proves that Labour Zionism is no different from its Likud variant
Day Three of Tony Greenstein’s trial
It therefore fell to the Solicitor-General, Sarah Sackman, to consent. The only problem was that she had been Vice-Chair of the Jewish Labour Movement from 2015 to 2024. She had also attacked me personally in an article in the Jewish News, March 16, 2016. She had co-authored an article with Mike Katz, attacking me as a ‘problematic figure’ i.e. I was anti-Semitic.
It was obvious that Sackman was biased and could not approve my prosecution. Plaschkes disagreed. The Court of Appeal judges, headed by LJ Edis found (para. 57) that ‘A fair minded and informed observer… would not, in our judgment conclude that there was a real possibility that she was biased in taking the only reasonable option open to her.’ One wonders what world Edis and company live in.
And he found that this bias spilled very directly into the trial proceedings:
But no, Plaschkes found procedural reasons for excluding nearly all of my previous articles from the Bundle handed to the jury.
Again the Court of Appeal agreed with her decision. I openly accused her from the dock of trying to rig the trial and contrary to her instructions I referred to the articles throughout my testimony until it became clear to the Jury that Plaschkes and the Prosecution were trying to obtain a wrongful conviction by foul means.
Sir Stephen Sedley – Jewish former Court of Appeal Judge and anti-Zionist
Dishonesty is hard wired into how most judges behave. Like a fish the judiciary rots from the head down. Unlike in previous decades we have no judicial giants like Tom Bingham, Patrick Devlin, Johan Steyn, Lord Philips, Sir Stephen Sedley and Lord Peter Taylor who presided over Hillsborough disaster inquiry. The latter four being Jewish.
In a naturally lengthy article, Greenstein dissects not just the trial and case, but their wider significance in a society facing a state onslaught on human and civil rights. And he gives lengthy, practical advice for those who offend it and find themselves in its legal crosshairs for opposing genocide and crimes against humanity – though some of it is potentially at odds with typical legal advice. Here is the first part:
i. Consider carefully your solicitor’s advice, if you are arrested, to do a No Comment interview. The reason why is that the interview is read into the record of the court and this is an unparalleled opportunity to put your case direct to the jury. Of course in my case it was edited down from about 35 to a dozen pages. The Prosecution did their best to reduce what I had to say but even they could not manage to exclude what I had to say. Plaschkes of course went along with all the edits bar one – then the Prosecution suggested replacing one question but leaving the answer intact thus providing an answer to a question that was excluded!!
If you are confident enough in what you have to say and articulate enough really think through whether or not it will help you. Remaining silent will enable the Prosecution to draw ‘adverse inferences’ from your silence. Your answers to the Police interrogator will be read in court, often edited but it will enable you to get your case across if there is a prosecution.
ii. Prepare for your cross-examination carefully. This is your opportunity to get your case across. Don’t accept the framework of the Prosecution. When they ask ‘did you do A on the Nth day of whenever’ make sure you paint a wider picture and put it into context. If they ask you do you support Hamas don’t say ‘yes’ or ‘no’. Start off by explaining that Hamas was the elected government of the Palestinians. That they are a resistance group that Israel and the West has demonised. Always set the scene.
iii. If the judge tells you not to be political don’t just accept the reprimand. When I was told this, repeatedly, I responded that genocide is political. The proscription itself is political. The definition of terrorism is so wide that the government has massive discretion as to who is proscribed as a terrorist organisation and who is not.
iv. Prosecuting people for what they say rather than what they have done is inherently political. I accused Plaschkes from the dock of trying to rig the trial.
v. Put the Prosecution and Judge on trial. Accuse them of turning a blind eye to Apartheid and Genocide and turn the spotlight on Israel.
vi. If – and I say if, you feel confident enough, then take the final closing speech to the jury. There will be pressure on you not to but remember your barrister will not be able to mention the Bushell’s case nor that of judges who have backed the idea that some laws need to be set aside when they provide for an unjust outcome. You are not there to satisfy your legal team. They are there to help you. Take charge of the case and challenge your barrister/solicitor.
vii. When Plaschkes warned me that she would intervene in my speech I retorted that Archbold Criminal Pleading, Evidence and Practice dictates that judges should not interrupt a litigant in person’s closing speech unless absolutely necessary, favoring corrections during the summing-up instead.
Archbold is the practitioner’s bible. It is highly authoritative: Even though it is not legally binding, Archbold is treated with immense respect. It has been in continuous publication since 1822. Judges and barristers rely on it daily in the Crown Court to quickly look up criminal procedures, sentencing guidelines and case law
After analysing the principles and dangers involved, Greenstein also explains why he chose to give the closing speech himself: he has faced trial before and knows that barristers might give judges too much respect when they try to shut down a line of argument. And he combines this with derision for both the ‘mainstream’ media and the Israel lobby that has gone into meltdown since his win:
When I observed left-wing barristers buckling under the dictat of Judge Michael Chambers KC in Wolverhampton, I made a decision when I was arrested that I would take the closing speech.
Media coverage has been variable. It has been greeted with delight by the activist media but largely ignored by the bourgeois press and the ruling class stenographers.
Brighton and Hove News which is a far-right-wing rag that supports the Zionists carried news of my being admonished by the judge two days ago when I was told that the court was not a political forum but for some reason it has failed to report my acquittal! Clearly the verdict of the jury must have upset their nasty little liar of an editor Jo Wadsworth.
The Jewish Chronicle chose to focus, not on my acquittal but on the Judge’s attack on me! The BBC’s article was fair enough without carrying anything about my anti-genocide stance.
But perhaps the sweetest of all the reactions was the fury of Heidi Bachram, the non-Jewish Zionist snout. She is someone who follows in the footsteps of the informers who betrayed Jews hiding from the Nazis during the Holocaust.
The full article includes much more detail of Greenstein’s experience, his trial thinking and the landscape in which the whole farce-turned-victory unfolded. Read his account of the historic case in full here.
By Skwawkbox
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