Far-right activist Tommy Robinson to be released from prison early

Robinson – whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon – was jailed in October 2023 for multiple breaches of a court injunction that barred him from repeating false allegations against Jamal Hijazi, a Syrian refugee who previously sued him for libel and won.

The far-right activist, who has lived in Bedfordshire, admitted 10 breaches of the injunction, including sharing a film titled Silenced and repeating the allegations in public and online between February and August 2023.

The sentence imposed at Woolwich Crown Court included a 14-month punitive element and a four-month coercive element, which could be removed if Robinson took steps to comply with the injunction. At a hearing on Tuesday, Mr Justice Johnson ruled that Robinson had now done so.

The judge said: “He (Robinson) has given an assurance that he will comply with the injunction in the future, that he has no intention of breaching it again, and that he is aware of the consequences of what would happen if he breached the injunction again. I consider it appropriate to grant the application.”

Despite noting an “absence of contrition or remorse,” Mr Justice Johnson said Robinson had shown a “change in attitude” since being sentenced.

“The practical effect, subject to confirmation by the prison authorities, is that the defendant will be released once he has completed the punitive element, which I understand will be within the next week,” he added.

Luton-born Robinson attended the hearing via video link from HMP Woodhill in Milton Keynes and showed no reaction as the decision was announced.

The civil injunction was issued in 2021 after Robinson falsely accused Mr Hijazi, who had been filmed being attacked at school in 2018, of violent behaviour. A libel trial later found the claims were untrue and awarded Mr Hijazi £100,000 in damages. The injunction prohibited Robinson from repeating the allegations in any form.

Following his imprisonment, Robinson unsuccessfully challenged both his sentence and his conditions in custody. In March, he lost a bid to legally challenge his segregation in prison. In April, the Court of Appeal also rejected his challenge to the length of his sentence but noted he could reduce his time in custody by complying with the injunction.

At Tuesday’s hearing, Robinson’s barrister Alex Di Francesco told the court that the content in breach of the order had largely been removed.

“The defendant has demonstrated that commitment that Your Lordship required, both in his words and his actions,” he said. “Each admitted breach capable of being purged has been acted upon and has been entirely resulted in removal.”

Adam Payter, representing the Solicitor General, confirmed that a review had found Robinson had taken steps to remove the offending content from almost all locations. “The Solicitor General agrees that the material has been removed from all bar two of the online locations,” he said, adding that efforts were underway to remove it from those remaining sites.

Mr Justice Johnson warned that any future breach could result in a prison sentence of up to two years.