Vice News published an exposé on 4 February 2016 of World Check, about its labelling respected individuals and organisations as ‘terrorist’: Read Vice News’ article>
Palestine Solidarity Campaign is taking legal advice following a decision by the World-Check commercial database to label it as a terrorist organisation.
Statement from PSC’s interim Director:
Sara Apps, interim Director of PSC, said: “PSC is shocked and appalled to learn of this listing. This is a false and defamatory accusation, which is without any basis in fact.
“PSC is a long-established British campaigning organisation which works to promote Palestinian human rights through public campaigning and Parliamentary lobbying. It is proud to be part of the UK’s long-standing democratic traditions of standing up for the persecuted and disempowered.
“PSC is an open, member-led organisation, with its accounts subject to independent inspection and its directors listed on the Companies House website.”
Ms Apps added: “World-Check’s sources appear to be right-wing websites and blogs, according to the investigation carried out by Vice News. One of the websites used as a source in deciding to list PSC is the Investigative Project on Terrorism. This website is run by Fox News pundit, Steve Emerson. Last year, Emerson was described as “a complete idiot” by David Cameron when he suggested that Birmingham was a no-go-zone for non-Muslims.
“World-Check has never contacted PSC with its allegations, and has published them without allowing PSC the opportunity to refute these ludicrous claims.”
Ms Apps concluded: “World-Check has also included personal profiles of individuals in its allegations, which is completely unacceptable.
“PSC takes these unfounded allegations very seriously and is consulting with its legal team.”
Statement from PSC Chair:
Hugh Lanning, Chair of PSC, said that World-Check “sounded like something from Never-Never Land.”
He added: “PSC is a completely lawful organization, going for 30 years, and we’ve never been questioned or challenged by any legal authority anywhere on anything and yet we’ve ended up terror listed.”
“It’s amazing that a company like this can print this as fact. And once you start spreading it, it starts to stick. It’s almost as good as Tony Blair’s terror dossier: ‘I heard somebody who heard something which is a rumour of…’ And yet we’ve had no right to challenge it. It’s a political blacklist and it’s outrageous.”
Statement from PSC’s legal team:
Ravi Naik of ITN Solicitors said: “Basic fairness requires an individual or organisation to know that they may be labelled in such a damaging manner, to enable them to make representations, correct misleading information and to improve the quality of the information being used. As it is, the revelations regarding World Check suggest that the decisions have been based on material that is unverified and has resulted in the pejorative use of that data in ways that may have unjustified adverse effects”
ENDS
- You can read the article here:
https://news.vice.com/article/vice-news-reveals-the-terrorism-blacklist-secretly-wielding-power-over-the-lives-of-millions