Far-right figure Tommy Robinson was acquitted on Tuesday of violating British counterterrorism laws by declining to provide authorities with his phone’s passcode during a July 2024 border stop. Robinson, also known as Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, is a prominent anti-immigration advocate in Britain and a leading figure for some British nationalists. The incident occurred when he was stopped by police at the Channel Tunnel train terminal in southeast England.
Prosecutors at a recent trial in London’s Westminster Magistrates’ Court argued that a police officer became suspicious due to Robinson’s behavior, his possession of a high-value vehicle — a friend’s silver Bentley — and his last-minute trip to Benidorm, Spain, with a ticket purchased that same day. When asked to provide the passcode to unlock his phone, Robinson, claiming to be a journalist with privileged information on the device, refused to comply.
In delivering the verdict, Judge Sam Goozee remarked that Robinson seemed to have been detained based on his political views, rendering the decision to stop him unlawful. Following the ruling, Robinson expressed gratitude to Elon Musk, whom he credited with financing his legal defense. Musk, a billionaire, has supported Robinson both by sharing his content on social media and appearing via video link at a recent London rally organized by Robinson, attended by approximately 150,000 individuals.
Robinson maintains that he was singled out by authorities for exposing misconduct, though critics portray him as a far-right instigator with a history of criminal convictions. He praised the judge’s ruling as a vindication of his position, asserting that he had been targeted by counterterrorism forces in an attempt to gain access to his phone under the guise of journalism.