The former MP George Galloway and his wife have been detained by counter-terrorism police at Gatwick airport.
The 71-year-old was stopped by officers on Saturday after flying in to London from Moscow, via Abu Dhabi, according to reports.
Workers Party of Britain, of which Mr Galloway is the leader of, said the move was ‘politically motivated intimidation’, claiming police have refused to reveal any information.
In a statement shared on X, they said: ‘At 11am we were informed by police officers in Gatwick that our party leader George Galloway and his wife have been detained at the airport
‘The police agreed that they would pass a message to our comrades from us and pass back a reply from them.
‘Despite repeated attempts to gather further information, and despite repeated calls to the police, we have no further information on their wellbeing, nor on the observation of their Rights.
‘There is no information on charges or alleged offences. Therefore we may conclude this is politically motivated intimidation.
‘We call on all supporters and friends to amplify this message and demand the IMMEDIATE RELEASE of our leaders.’
The former MP George Galloway and his wife have been detained by counter-terrorism police at Gatwick airport
Mr Galloway and his wife Putri Gayatri Pertiwi had been stopped under schedule 3 of the Counter Terrorism and Border Security Act 2019. The couple pictured with their daughter
Workers Party of Britain, of which Mr Galloway is the leader of, said the move is ‘politically motivated intimidation’, claiming police have refused to reveal any information
Mr Galloway and his wife Putri Gayatri Pertiwi had been stopped under schedule 3 of the Counter Terrorism and Border Security Act 2019.
The act means officers can detain and search someone at a border to manage terrorist offenders and prevent malicious state action.
A Met spokesman said: ‘We can confirm that on Saturday, counter-terrorism officers at Gatwick airport stopped a man in his 70s and a woman in her 40s under schedule 3 of the Counter Terrorism and Border Security Act 2019.
‘Neither of them were arrested and they were allowed on their way.’
The couple were eventually let go without charge.
The hard-left Party went on to condemn ‘the attempt to intimidate political opponents of the drive towards war with Russia and China’.
They insisted ‘there was never any chance of an offence’ and the Party were obstructed from providing legal support.
The Daily Mail have approached the Met for further comment.
The politician controversially made an appearance in Moscow as Russia’s Vladimir Putin celebrated Victory Day with a huge military parade in May.
The politician controversially made an appearance in Moscow as Russia’s Vladimir Putin celebrated Victory Day with a huge military parade in May. Mr Galloway posted a series of snaps alongside his wife on Moscow’s Red Square
Taking to X to share snaps of himself in Moscow, Galloway called the Victory Day Celebrations ‘moving, emotional, inspiring, humbling.’
Pictures posted by the politician show him and his fourth wife Putri Gayatri Pertiwi – who is 30 years his junior – posing for the camera on Red Square.
Having previously praised the assassinated Hamas leader as a ‘martyr,’ Galloway said in a speech said he was ‘honoured’ to receive the award, and also bragged about having Haniyeh’s passport in his possession.
‘I actually hold in my safe the passport of the because when we arrived with one of our convoys to break the siege on Gaza [in 2009], he had promised me a Palestinian passport but they had run out of Palestinian passports.
‘So he gave me his own personal passport and it is one of my most treasured possessions,’ the British politician boasted.
He went on to thank Iran for ‘their steadfastness in support for the Palestinian people.’
‘The truth is when Palestine is finally free, Iran will be able to take its place in the panoply of heroes who made it possible.’
