Mick Hartley

The three women who proudly wore parachute images at a Gaza rally soon after October 7th, in clear celebration of the Hamas terrorists who arrived by paraglider to carry out their vicious pogrom against Israeli women and children, were found guilty of an offence under the Terrorism Act – but the nice judge decided not to punish them.

The judge who “decided not to punish” three women displaying parachute images at a protest had recently liked a social media post branding Israel a “terrorist” and calling for a “free Palestine”.

Three weeks ago Tan Ikram, 58, the deputy senior district judge, liked the LinkedIn post by a barrister who had previously promoted conspiracy theories claiming that Israel allowed the October 7 attack.

Ikram, who told the women in court that he had decided not to punish them, may now face disciplinary action after judicial guidance issued last year stated that judges known to have strong views should consider whether to hear a case.

On Wednesday senior legal figures including a former home secretary and a Jewish campaign group criticised Ikram and called for a review of the sentencing.

Downing Street said that it had referred the case to the attorney-general, describing the sentencing decision as “deeply troubling”. A source said: “Serious questions are being raised in government on how a judge posting this online was able to preside over this landmark case and what this means for the sentencing decision.”…

After the sentence, the Jewish Leadership Council said that the women had got off “scot-free”.

Judge Ikram told the women: “Each of you stands convicted of a terrorist offence. There is nothing to suggest the police of their own volition were going to take any action. You’ve not hidden the fact you were carrying these images. You crossed the line, but it would have been fair to say that emotions ran very high on this issue.

“Your lesson has been well learnt. I do not find you were seeking to show any support for Hamas.”

Ha. If he ever becomes an ex-judge, he could maybe try for a career in comedy.

The post which was liked by Ikram stated: “Free Free Palestine. To the Israeli terrorist both in the United Kingdom, the United States, and of course Israel you can run, you can bomb but you cannot hide — justice will be coming for you.”

It was posted by Sham Uddin, a barrister who is standing to be an independent MP in east London and has made a series of anti-Israeli posts, including an October 7 conspiracy theory that Israel knowingly allowed the attacks to take place to “expel” Palestinians.

Lovely.

From Ikram's Law Society entry: "If someone like me can make it, then anyone can." Hmm.

Update: this is the same judge who cleared trans activist Sarah Jane Baker of encouraging violence after he shouted out to a crowd at a London Pride event, “If you see a Terf, punch them in the fucking face".