Former MP George Galloway (71) and his wife Putri Gayatri Pertiwi were stopped by counter-terrorism officers at Gatwick Airport on Saturday. The couple had returned from Moscow via Abu Dhabi when they were questioned by armed police.
Galloway claimed officers stopped them for "no reason at all" other than to "gain access to our communications". The former politician said they were detained and had their phones and laptops confiscated during the encounter.
Legal action planned
Galloway and his wife will announce legal action against the Metropolitan Police at a press conference in Belfast on Monday afternoon. Their solicitor Kevin Winters will provide details of the planned legal challenge against the Met and other agencies.
The couple claim they were unlawfully detained and are demanding the return of their electronic devices. They intend to pursue compensation for what they describe as an unjustified stop and search.
Galloway's angry response
Speaking on his internet show on Sunday, Galloway said officers had questioned him about his views on Russia and China. He told viewers: "Not a single effort was made to show cause for having detained me and her with armed officers in public in an English airport."
The former MP expressed outrage at the treatment, asking: "If they can arrest me under the terrorism Act at an English airport, what hope have you got?" He added: "They're too stupid to be anti-terrorism police, they're too stupid to be in MI5 if they think they can intimidate me, not even death will intimidate me."
Police statement
The Metropolitan Police confirmed the stop but did not name the individuals involved. A spokesperson said: "We can confirm that on Saturday September 27, counter-terrorism officers at Gatwick Airport stopped a man in his 70s and a woman in her 40s under Schedule 3 of the Counter Terrorism and Border Security Act 2019."
The statement added: "Neither of them were arrested and they were allowed on their way." Police officers based at UK airports are routinely armed as part of standard security procedures.
Sources used: "PA Media" Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
