{
  "id": 3534867,
  "title": "Hundreds of academics and lawyers urge Burnham to lift Palestine Action ban",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/26/hundreds-of-academics-and-lawyers-urge-burnham-to-lift-palestine-3534867",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-26T15:50:36.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Middle East Eye",
    "slug": "middle-east-eye",
    "url": "https://www.middleeasteye.net/live-blog/live-blog-update/hundreds-academics-and-lawyers-urge-burnham-lift-palestine-action-ban"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "More than 250 academics and lawyers have written to British Prime Minister Andy Burnham. They are urging him to lift the ban on direct action group Palestine Action and end military cooperation with Israel. The letter, dated 25 August, was signed by notable individuals such as barrister Michael Mansfield, Oxford historian Avi Shlaim, Tim Crosland, and Laleh Khalili.\n\nThe letter highlights Israel's continuous perpetration of war crimes. Despite this, the UK government continues to provide Israel with military, economic, and diplomatic support. Instead of changing its course, the UK Home Office and its judicial system have decided to target activists who oppose war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide.\n\nThe letter emphasizes that these actions by the UK government constitute some of the most egregious state crimes of the twenty-first century. Legal scholars, practitioners, and public intellectuals argue that the 1948 Genocide Convention obliges states to prevent and punish genocide.",
  "summary": "Hundreds of academics and lawyers urge Burnham to lift Palestine Action ban More than 250 academics and lawyers have written to British Prime Minister Andy Burnham urging him to end military cooperation with Israel and de-proscribe direct action group Palestine Action as a terrorist organisation. The letter, dated 25 August and seen by Middle East Eye, was signed by prominent figures including…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 7,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Middle East Eye",
        "title": "Hundreds of academics and lawyers urge Burnham to lift Palestine Action ban",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/26/hundreds-of-academics-and-lawyers-urge-burnham-to-lift-palestine",
        "published": "2026-08-26T14:00:48.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Al-Monitor",
        "title": "US imposes sanctions on Palestine Action group",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/26/us-imposes-sanctions-on-palestine-action-group",
        "published": "2026-08-26T14:46:35.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "The National Business",
        "title": "US sanctions Palestine Action and other 'far-left groups' over alleged support for terrorism",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/26/us-sanctions-palestine-action-and-other-far-left-groups-over-alleged",
        "published": "2026-08-26T16:15:33.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Punch",
        "title": "US designates UK-based Palestine Action as terrorist group",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/26/us-designates-uk-based-palestine-action-as-terrorist-group",
        "published": "2026-08-26T16:58:16.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Daily Post Nigeria",
        "title": "US designates UK-based Palestine Action ‘terrorist organisation’",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/26/us-designates-uk-based-palestine-action-terrorist-organisation",
        "published": "2026-08-26T17:11:30.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "BBC News",
        "title": "US designates Palestine Action a terrorist group",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/26/us-designates-palestine-action-a-terrorist-group",
        "published": "2026-08-26T17:31:45.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}