The London Metropolitan Police recently acknowledged that they “fell below standards” after wrongly arresting female Christian evangelist Hatun Tash twice at the Speakers’ Corner, in London.

They also publicly apologised “for the distress that you have suffered as a consequence of these incidents”.

“Whilst the MPS constantly strives to maintain the highest professional standards, incidents occasionally arise. I have considered the background to your claim and on these occasions the level of service did fall below the requisite standard”, added the Inspector and Directorate of Professional Standards, Civil Actions Investigation Unit Andy O’Donnell, in a letter to Tash.

Hatun Tash is a well-known Christian evangelist who regularly participates in debates about the Quran and Islam at the Speakers’ Corner in the Hyde Park, a well-known space for open air debates.

Two wrongful arrests

The first arrest took place on December 2020, when police officers claimed that she had broken the coronavirus restriction rules by preaching.

On 23 May 2021, Tash was arrested again for “breaching the peace” and another public order offense.

Right before that, the Christian evangelist had been assaulted, abused and harassed by a group of Islamic men for wearing a t-shirt with a picture of Muslim prophet Muhammad on it.

A video footage shows police officers ordering the Islamic group to leave Hyde Park, but they told police to “go away” and continued intimidating Tash.

The same officers then asked the evangelist to leave the park. When she refused, they took her into police custody. Afterwards, she was interviewed under caution and held in custody for 24 hours.

Tash contested the arrests on the grounds of wrongful arrest and unlawful imprisonment. “The police should have protected her free speech by bringing more officers to facilitate her rights. It follows that her safety would have been protected”, pointed out her lawyers.

After winning both cases, she has received £10,000 in compensation and costs, which she has donated to the Christian Legal Centre.

Tash: “The beginning of the police doing more to protect Christian freedoms”

Following the apology, Tash stressed that “this must be just the beginning of the police doing more to protect Christian freedoms and free speech at Speakers’ Corner”.

According to Tash, it is “very disturbing” that “the police have repeatedly taken away my rights [...] and do not want to arrest a Muslim for fear of being called Islamophobic”.

Tash warned that “by doing this, Sharia Law is ruling Speakers' Corner rather than the law of the UK".

“More must be done to properly deal with Islamic violence and intimidation. We don't live in Pakistan or Saudi Arabia. I am Christian and I believe that Muhammad is a false prophet. I should be allowed to say that in the UK without being stabbed or repeatedly arrested”, she added.

In July 2021, Hatun Tash was stabbed on her face and hand by a young man wearing black, at Speakers’ Corner. There have been no arrests related to this attack.