Charges have been dropped against two men from Blackburn accused of driving in a convoy that screamed “f**k the Jews” as it drove through an area of London with a high Jewish population.
Mohammed Iftikhar Hanif, of Pringle Street, and Jawaad Hussain, of Revidge Road, were previously charged for using “threatening, abusive or insulting words” that were likely to stir up racial hatred.
Four men were arrested and charged after a video in May 2021 showed cars draped with Palestinian flags travelling along Finchley Road in London, with one man yelling profanity through a loudspeaker.
In the clip, the man was heard saying “f**k the Jews, f*** the movement, f**k all of them."
Charges against two other men were dropped in July this year, with further charges for Hanif and Hussain now dropped too.
The Crown Prosecution Service, (CPS) said the charges were dropped as there is “no longer a realistic prospect of either defendant being convicted”.
In the video, the words “f**k their mother, f**k their daughters and show your support for Palestine” could be heard as the cars went past the road with one of the largest Jewish community centres - JW3.
A man was also heard saying: “Rape their daughters, we have to send a message”.
Whatever your view of the conflict in Israel and Gaza, there’s no justification for inciting anti-Jewish or Muslim hatred.
— Robert Jenrick (@RobertJenrick) May 16, 2021
Some of the language used on marches this weekend and in posts on social media is intimidating, hateful and racist.
It must stop, and be addressed if not.
Nick Price, the CPS’s head of special crime and counter terrorism division, said: “Throughout this case, we have worked hard with the police to identify those filmed and the extent of their involvement.
“However, upon reviewing the evidence it has become clear we would not be able to prove to a court that one of the two charged individuals was in the car at the time of the captured footage.
“We could also not demonstrate the second person had participated in the conduct to the criminal standard.
“We will continue to work with the Jewish community to rebuild trust. Anyone who sees hate crime should report it to police. We will prosecute all cases where there is sufficient evidence to do so.”
However, the Board of Deputies of British Jews has urged the CPS to reconsider dropping all charges.
A statement reads: “In May 2021, British citizens, Jewish and non-Jewish, were horrified by video footage of cars driving through a north London neighbourhood, with someone on a loudspeaker system calling for the death of Jews and the rape of their daughters.
“The inexplicable and disgraceful decision by the CPS to now drop all charges against anyone involved in this hate crime is an insult not just to the Jewish community, but to all who care about the rule of law.
“With this decision, the Crown Prosecution Service is effectively stating that in Britain, in 2022, people can publicly call for the murder and rape of Jews without any consequence.
“We urge the CPS to reconsider this calamitous choice. If not, we hope the Government will take all reasonable steps to reverse this hideous miscarriage of justice.”
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