George Galloway, wife detained at Gatwick, released without charge
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Former MP George Galloway and his wife were detained at Gatwick Airport under the UK Terrorism Act before being released without charge.
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George Galloway, during his MOATS broadcast live, on September 28, 2025 (Social media)
Former MP George Galloway and his wife were detained by counter-terrorism officers at Gatwick airport on Saturday under the UK’s Counter-Terrorism and Border Security Act.
Galloway, 70, and his wife, Putri Gayatri Pertiwi, were stopped after arriving in London from Moscow via Abu Dhabi. The pair were questioned under Schedule 3 of the 2019 Act, which allows officers to stop, search, and detain individuals at UK border areas to determine possible involvement in "hostile activity".
Having found nothing to make charges, a Metropolitan Police spokesperson confirmed, “Neither of them were arrested and they were allowed on their way.”
URGENT STATEMENT WORKERS PARTY
— Workers Party of Britain (@WorkersPartyGB) September 27, 2025
At 11am we were informed by police officers in Gatwick that our party leader George Galloway and his wife have been detained at the airport @sussex_police @BTP .
The police agreed that they would pass a message to our comrades from us and pass… pic.twitter.com/XZwydwRTD2
Reactions
The Workers Party of Britain, which Galloway leads, denounced the detention as “politically motivated intimidation.”
In a statement, the party said it had no information on charges or alleged offenses, adding, “We may conclude this is politically motivated intimidation.”
Chay Bowes, an Irish journalist, called their detention "a shameless, authoritarian attempt to bully and silence a Peace campaigner, adding that "their electronic devices were also seized."
Astounding news that my Dear friend @georgegalloway alongside his wife was detained under the Terrorism act at Gatwick airport in the UK.
— Chay Bowes (@BowesChay) September 27, 2025
A Shameless, authoritarian attempt to bully and silence a Peace campaigner.
Their electronic devices were also siezed. pic.twitter.com/LUJnAw05ub
Jackson Hinkle, an American political commentator and influencer, posted: "The ZIONISTS are trying to SILENCE HIM!"
❤️🇬🇧🇵🇸 FREE GEORGE GALLOWAY!
— Jackson Hinkle 🇺🇸 (@jacksonhinklle) September 27, 2025
The ZIONISTS are trying to SILENCE HIM! pic.twitter.com/UKD154Cw1X
Galloway, a former Labour MP expelled in 2003 over his opposition to the war on Iraq, has long been a polarizing figure for his outspoken critique of "Israel's" war on Gaza.
George Galloway: "I will never succumb to the death of freedom and liberty in my native land."
— Workers Party of Britain (@WorkersPartyGB) September 28, 2025
At Gatwick, he was told:
❌ “You are not under arrest.”
❌ “You are not free to leave.”
❌ “You do not have the right to remain silent.”
If he didn’t comply, he’d be committing an… pic.twitter.com/BXO0uofdE3
He last sat in Parliament after winning the 2012 Bradford West by-election, losing the seat in 2015. Despite Saturday’s detention, no charges were filed, and both Galloway and his wife were released.
The detention of George Galloway under the Terrorism Act and seizure of his devices - exactly the same that Richard Medhurst and I each suffered - shows what a crazy authoritarian state the UK now is.
— Craig Murray (@CraigMurrayOrg) September 27, 2025
No remote connection to terrorism.
Not an isolated incident
Last August, British journalist Richard Medhurst was detained at Heathrow Airport under Section 12 of the UK's Terrorism Act, reportedly due to his journalistic work.
Medhurst was subjected to two searches within ten minutes, and his belongings, including journalist equipment, were thoroughly ransacked.
The prominent journalist was placed in a solitary confinement cell that he deemed unfit for human habitation and was monitored by cameras even while using the restroom. Medhurst expressed that the entire ordeal seemed designed to "intimidate, humiliate, and dehumanize him," despite his clear identity as a journalist.
