London’s Reuters reports: A British judge rejected on Wednesday a case brought against the government’s counter-terrorism strategy, according to lawyers for the claimant, a Muslim activist.
Salman Butt, 31, had claimed the government’s “Prevent” programme breached his right to free speech as it imposed a duty on universities to stop radicalisation by restricting some speakers from addressing students.
Rejecting Butt’s case, Judge Duncan Ouseley ruled that universities could disregard the advice in certain cases and that the right to free speech was not restricted, the lawyers said.
The “Prevent” programme is aimed at halting the spread of radical ideology, attempting to address such issues as the dissemination of material online and through public speakers.
It has come under heavy fire in recent years, with critics saying it stigmatises individuals and breeds distrust within communities, potentially even pushing more people towards extremism.