Richard Medhurst, Leading Gaza Reporter, Arrested and Charged with 'Terrorism' in European Crackdown

“The Vienna state prosecutor accuses me of being a Hamas member, specifically the military wing Izzal Din Qassam Brigades, since at least July 2024 and working to ‘destroy Israel and establish a worldwide Islamic caliphate,’” he stated.

Medhurst, a British Christian of Armenian-Syrian descent, has publicly stated that he believes that Palestinians living under occupation have the right to armed resistance under the Fourth Geneva Convention. However, no evidence suggests he supports Hamas or any specific Palestinian political or armed faction.

What makes the accusation even more dubious is the claim that he seeks to “establish a worldwide Islamic caliphate”—a concept that Hamas itself explicitly rejects. Hamas and its armed wing define themselves as a localized Palestinian national liberation movement focused solely on resisting Israeli occupation. The group has never advocated for a global Islamic caliphate and has not conducted military operations outside the borders of historic Palestine.

The notion that a Christian British journalist based in Vienna has joined the military wing of a Palestinian faction—one that does not seek territorial expansion beyond Palestine—strains credibility to an almost absurd degree.

So absurd. Really shows the rule of law is pointless and they’ll just pick you up if they feel like it.