UN rights office condemns US designation of Palestine Action as ‘terrorist’ group

The UN human rights office stated on Thursday that the Trump administration's designation of the Palestine Action group as a terrorist organization constitutes a disproportionate and unnecessary restriction on the rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly, and association. According to the office of UN human rights chief Volker Turk, the expansive use of the term 'terrorism' risks having a chilling effect on civic space. The US administration designated the group on Wednesday, describing the move as part of efforts to crack down on left-wing groups. Israel's foreign ministry welcomed the designation. Britain had previously banned Palestine Action as a terrorist organization, a move also condemned by Turk's office. The UK Supreme Court is set to hear an appeal against a lower court ruling that upheld the legality of the British ban. Palestine Action, which has targeted Israel-linked defense firms such as Elbit Systems, maintains that its activities are intended to disrupt the 'Israeli war machine.' The group was banned in the UK following a June 2025 incident at the Royal Air Force's Brize Norton base, where activists damaged two military aircraft.