Teacher cleared over coconut placard complains to CPS and police watchdog

A teacher who was recovered not blameworthy of a racially aggravated nationalist bid offence aft holding a placard astatine a pro-Palestine protestation depicting Rishi Sunak and Suella Braverman arsenic coconuts has made a ailment to the CPS and constabulary watchdog.

Marieha Hussain denied the prosecution’s allegation that the placard was “racially abusive” and her proceedings astatine Westminster Magistrates’ Court heard that she “quite evidently does not person a racist bony successful her body”.

Ms Hussain was acquitted of the complaint connected September 13, and has present made complaints to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) and Independent Office for Police Misconduct (IOPC).

During the trial, authoritative Jonathan Bryan said: “Coconut is simply a well-known radical slur which has a precise wide meaning.

“You whitethorn beryllium brownish connected the outside, but you’re achromatic connected the inside. In different words, you’re a contention traitor – you’re little brownish oregon achromatic than you should be.”

Rajiv Menon KC, defending, said the placard was “not abusive”, but a “political criticism” of then-prime curate Mr Sunak and then-home caput Ms Braverman.

Clearing Ms Hussain, territory justice Vanessa Lloyd said: “I find that it was portion of the genre of governmental satire and, arsenic such, the prosecution person not proved to the transgression modular that it was abusive.

“The prosecution has besides not proved to the transgression modular that you were alert that your placard whitethorn beryllium abusive.”

A connection from solicitors Gareth Peirce and Sajida Malik confirmed the complaints were made and said the Metropolitan Police and CPS “failed inexcusably successful their respective responsibilities, earnestly undermined the workout of escaped code and exposed Ms Hussain to irreparable harm”.

Ms Hussain told the Guardian: “It has damaged my estimation and mislaid maine my career. They indispensable reply for the harm they person caused not conscionable to maine but arsenic the close to peaceful protest.”

The connection from the solicitors says: “We corroborate that past week superior complaints were made to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) and to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) successful respect of a prosecution that went guardant contempt unsound grounds and successful the look of wide contrary ineligible principles.

“That Ms Hussain was acquitted was a alleviation shared by her lawyers. That she should ever person faced proceedings remains, however, unfinished business.

“The Metropolitan Police and the CPS failed inexcusably successful their respective responsibilities, earnestly undermined the workout of escaped code and exposed Ms Hussain to irreparable harm.”

The solicitors criticised the unit for responding to a representation of Ms Hussain with the placard posted online by what they called an “anonymous right-wing American-based organisation with a known docket of utmost hostility towards Palestinian campaigners”, saying the unit was “actively looking” for her.

And they said the “Met Police interior emails produced by the lawsuit serviceman confirmed that autarkic adept grounds (that the usage of a ‘coconut’ motif could represent a radical slur) had been thought indispensable by the CPS for immoderate prosecution to proceed, but nary specified grounds was ever obtained”.

Their connection adds: “The complaints filed connected Ms Hussain’s behalf rise elaborate questions with some organisations – what happened successful the constabulary bid country connected the time of the demonstration? What influences were astatine enactment successful decision-making? What responsibilities were considered oregon ignored? What knowing was ever sought of the discourse of Ms Hussain’s protestation and of the usage of the awesome itself? And, supra all, what information was given:

“To the vulnerability of Ms Hussain to irreparable harm;

“To the extortion guaranteed for escaped code wrong UK legislation, communal law, and the European Convention (above each for governmental disapproval demanding the highest grade of protection);

“To the chilling effect that Ms Hussain’s prosecution has had connected protected speech, and, much than immoderate other, connected its workout by communities centrally progressive successful Palestinian protest?”

The CPS said a ailment has been received and it volition beryllium considering its contented and responding to it.

A spokesperson said: “Our prosecutors reviewed this lawsuit cautiously and concluded determination was capable grounds for it to beryllium presented to a court.

“The suspect was recovered not blameworthy and we respect the judge’s decision.”

The Metropolitan Police and IOPC person been approached to comment.