Home Office bars Swedish academic who called Hamas attack 'an act of liberation' from UK event with Palestine Action co-founder
Andreas Malm, the Lund University human ecology professor who called the ban "scandalous" and urged the Burnham government to reconsider.
Andreas Malm, who holds an associate professor position in human ecology at Lund University, had his Electronic Travel Authorisation cancelled by the Home Office on Wednesday. Officials gave no reason beyond that his presence "is not considered to be conducive to the public good." His cancelled engagements — which he described as "nothing short of scandalous" to lose — included a Tribune magazine panel on 4 November alongside Palestine Action co-founder Huda Ammori, an academic conference, and an appearance on BBC Radio 4.
Malm acknowledged that his previous characterisation of Hamas's 7 October attack as "an act of liberation" may have been what prompted the ban.
Publisher Verso Books said that in more than 55 years it had never witnessed a British government strip an author of the right to enter the country.
Jeremy Corbyn called the decision "absurd and outrageous", saying Burnham's government wants to "silence criticism of Israel."
