80 South African legal professionals – including ANC hero – issue letter of support for UK law firm representing Hamas

Lawyers representing Hamas in the UK have come under attack from “Zionist organisation” over their work on applying for the group to be de-proscribed from the country’s terrorist list. So, over 80 legal professionals have written an open letter in support of the law firm.

Hamas: requesting to be de-proscribed in the UK

Hamas has formally requested that the UK government remove it from its list of proscribed terrorist organisations, arguing that the designation is outdated and politically motivated.

In a statement issued earlier in April, Hamas claimed its inclusion on the list, in place since 2001, was unjust and no longer reflects the current realities of the region. The group, which governs the Gaza Strip, described itself as a “legitimate national resistance movement” working toward the rights and self-determination of the Palestinian people.

The appeal follows the UK government’s decision in 2021 to broaden the ban on Hamas to cover its political wing as well as its military activities. At the time, British officials cited the group’s involvement in violence against civilians and its refusal to renounce armed struggle as grounds for the move.

Hamas’s statement emphasised its political role, including its participation in Palestinian elections and its provision of public services in Gaza. The group framed its request as part of a broader effort to secure international recognition and to counter narratives it says hinder peace efforts.

A spokesperson for the UK Home Office confirmed it had received representations but declined to comment further, citing the sensitivity of the matter. Under British law, groups listed as terrorist organisations can submit formal applications for removal, a process that involves review by ministers and, potentially, a judicial appeal.

The call for delisting comes amid Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza, and apartheid and war crimes in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

Riverway Law: under attack from Zionists

While Hamas remains designated as a terrorist group by several Western governments, it maintains backing from the majority of states and organisations internationally, and its status continues to be a point of contention in international diplomacy.

However, since the application was submitted two weeks ago, Riverway Law and its colleagues have come under intense attacks, including death threats.

So, over 80 legal professionals from South Africa, who recognise the parallels from their experiences of apartheid, have issued a letter in solidarity. The letter is headlined by anti-apartheid heroes, the country’s former Intelligence Minister Ronnie Kasrils, and one of its most respected jurists Justice Zakeria Mohammed Yacoob.

The full text is below:

We, members of the South African legal community and others, stand in full solidarity with the legal team in the United Kingdom who have initiated proceedings to challenge the proscription of Hamas under UK law.

On 9th April 2025, Riverway Law, a firm of solicitors in England, together with a team of barristers, acting on behalf of Hamas, submitted an application to the Secretary of State requesting the removal of Hamas from the list of proscribed organisations under the Terrorism Act 2000. Should this application be refused, legal proceedings are expected to follow by way of appeal.

Since the filing of the application, there has been an unprecedented, concerted and malicious campaign, spearheaded by Zionist organisations, their allies in the media and political parties aimed at discrediting and intimidating the legal professionals involved.

At the heart of this campaign is a deliberate conflation between lawyer and client — an effort to falsely suggest that legal representatives share the political or ideological positions of those they represent. Such a conflation violates fundamental legal principles and undermines the independence of the legal profession — a cornerstone of any just legal system.

The UN Basic Principles on the Role of Lawyers (Principle 16) makes clear that lawyers must be able to perform all their professional functions without intimidation, hindrance, harassment or improper interference; and shall not suffer, or be threatened with, prosecution or administrative, economic or other sanctions for any action taken in accordance with recognised professional duties, standards and ethics. Principle 18, lawyers shall not be identified with their clients or their clients’ causes as a result of discharging their functions

In South Africa, we recall all too clearly how the apartheid regime labelled liberation movements as “terrorist” organisations and criminalised their legal and political representatives. The governments of Britain and the United States were complicit in this repression — banning movements such as the ANC and PAC and vilifying those who defended them.

Today, the pattern repeats itself. The language, the targeting, the delegitimisation of legal advocacy — is all hauntingly familiar. Where once the target was the ANC, today it is Hamas. Where once it was apartheid South Africa, today it is apartheid Israel. Where once it was the defenders of our liberation in South African courts, today it is Riverway Law and their colleagues in Britain.

We will not be silent in the face of such injustice.

We condemn in the strongest possible terms the campaign of vilification and intimidation directed at Fahad Ansari, Franck Magennis and Daniel Grütters, and the wider legal team involved in this vital case. We uphold the right of all individuals and organisations — no matter how controversial or unpopular — to have access to independent legal representation without fear of retribution.

We express our unwavering support for our colleagues in Britain and affirm that the independence of the legal profession must never be compromised to serve political agendas.

Featured image via the Canary