10 years after 7/7, PREVENT is not working - CAGE releases exclusive case studies

London – On the 10th anniversary of the 7/7 bombings, CAGE has released a case-study based report into the PREVENT policy and how it operates in London, its toxic effect on communities and its potential to create the climate in which the likelihood of politically motivated violence is increased rather than diminished as opposed to counter it.

Under the guise of a response to the 7/7 bombings, we now have a policy that threatens basic freedoms of all and uses the tactics of a police state to target certain communities.

For the last five years, CAGE has received a stream of reports regarding the actions of PREVENT officers, and since September 2014 alone, CAGE has received almost 70 such complaints.

CAGE’s previous report into PREVENT, released in February last year, demonstrated how the policy is a politically motivated programme that criminalises, stigmatises and alienates Muslims, and which erodes their fundamental rights.

This latest report highlights case studies in London from the medical, social services and education services and raises serious questions around whether the PREVENT policy is working, 10 years after 7/7. It shows that the methods and approaches being used by PREVENT officers are having a damaging and counterproductive impact.

This is a template to manage non conformist, independent minded individuals, who clearly do not pose any threat as illustrated by our cases studies.

CAGE spokesperson Ibrahim Mohamoud said:

“For the last five years, CAGE has been receiving a constant stream of reports regarding the actions of PREVENT officers. Since September 2014 alone, CAGE has received almost 60 complaints relating to the actions of PREVENT officers.”

“What began as a response to the 7/7 bombings, has expanded the security state and threatens basic freedoms, making some communities feel as though they are living in a police state.”

“Many of the methods being used under the PREVENT programme are based on highly dubious and questionable evidence, with religiosity seen as a repeated indicator of radicalisation. Such actions are likely to create or perpetuate existing grievances, and can cause an individual to become radicalised.”

“The lack of transparency surrounding PREVENT as well as the strategy’s unaccountability mean that the unfair practices of PREVENT officers go unchallenged and a two-tier justice system exists.”

“CAGE calls for an end to PREVENT, in favour of an approach that is based on dialogue and the rule of law. PREVENT is a toxic policy that fails the communities it is seeking to reach.”

You can download our previous PREVENT report, “the PREVENT strategy: a cradle to grave police-state” by clicking here.
To download the leaked PREVENT training DVD, please see here.