Tommy Robinson, Anti-Islam Activist Jailed For Falsely Accusing Syrian Refugee Thanks Elon Musk After Release

Infamous anti-Islam activist Tommy Robinson, born Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, has been released early from prison after seven months–and he is not remorseful. In 2018, Robinson was publicly slammed and sued for purposely and recklessly misrepresenting a teenage Syrian refugee, resulting in the schoolboy and his family having to flee their new home. The 42-year-old, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, was sentenced in October 2024 to 18 months for contempt of court.

Last week, however, Sir Jeremy Charles Johnson reduced his sentence to 14 months on appeal. Johnson said that although Robinson shows an 'absence of contrition or remorse', there is an observable 'change in attitude' within the defendant. This absence of remorse was more evident than ever following his release.

Robinson Thanks Musk And Doubles Down in Delusional Speech

Robinson, a former member of the British National Party, has a long list of offences, but credits his most recent bid at freedom to tech giant Elon Musk.

On a recent X livestream, Robinson expressed his appreciation for his supporters, giving a shout-out to the platform's CEO.

'I have to say a thank you to Elon Musk, because without X, if we didn't have X, everyone would just think I lied,' Robinson said. 'No one would have got any other narrative.'

'These attempts at censorship, to silence, to cancel people, it hasn't worked,' he added. 'You've attempted to lock up the truth. And that truth has been echoed around the entire globe.'

Robinson's gratefulness to Musk is likely due to a January post made by the leader of Tesla, in which he expressed horror at the situation, stating: 'Why is Tommy Robinson in a solitary confinement prison for telling the truth? He should be freed and those who covered up this travesty should take his place in that cell.'

Robinson and Musk had similar slogans regarding truth and censorship, with the former being jailed for spreading false, racist statements.

Racist Claims Lead to 100k Settlement

In 2018, the British public was horrified when a video of Syrian refugee Jamal Hijazi being attacked in a school playground in Huddersfield went viral. The footage depicted the 15-year-old being pushed to the ground and having water poured over his face. Political figures, including then-Prime Minister Theresa May, were quick to condemn the incident. The 16-year-old who assaulted Jamal was reportedly given a caution.

Following the video's virality, Robinson published two videos on Facebook in which he accused the student of not being 'innocent' and of violently attacking English girls at Almondbury school.

Hijazi's family sued Robinson for libel against their young son. Jamal was cross-examined by Robinson, who represented himself, and vehemently denied these accusations. For example, Robison alleged Jamal hit a girl with a hockey stick, but Jamal argued this could not have happened because sports were segregated by sex in his school. Robinson's claims were later deemed 'entirely distorted anti-Muslim' fabrications by the High Court. In July 2021, Robinson was ordered to pay £100,000 plus legal costs.

However, Robinson's legal troubles were not over yet, as he shared his dangerously fraudulent claims publicly once more, only a few years later.

Illicit Screenings Result in Jail Sentence

In 2023, Robinson released a documentary titled 'Silenced,' in which he doubled down on his claims about Jamal. He played the documentary more than six times, even screening it at a demonstration in Trafalgar Square. Although he deleted 'Silenced' from his social media pages, the damage was done–these breaches of the 2021 injunction resulted in his imprisonment last October.

Though he was recently released from HMP Woodhill, Robinson has several other charges to account for. He is accused of harassing two journalists and causing fear of violence between 5 and 7 August, and is set to appear in court on 5 June. In October, he is set to stand trial for failing to provide Kent Police the PIN for his phone in July 2024. Before these incidents, Robinson had also been jailed for mortgage fraud, assault and contempt of court.

As his ongoing court cases progress, Robinson's young victim is still trying to process his unprovoked attack.

Racial Slurs And Armed Threats: Jamal's Testimony

Jamal was deeply affected by Robinson's accusations, reporting racist harassment. He was particularly targeted by fans of Robinson and the group he founded, English Defence League (EDL). This is a far-right Islamophobic group that ran from 2009 to the mid-late 2010s but is still popular, especially in online circles.

'I remember them saying: 'The EDL's talking about you,'" Jamal recalled. 'At the time when these incidents happened at school, I did not know what the EDL was and I did not know what they were referring to when they talked about it.'

The situation soon escalated, with Jamal claiming the violent bullyinh sometimes even involved knives.

'By this point, it was unsafe to even walk to the local shops without receiving verbal abuse with a very real risk of that escalating to physical abuse,' he explained.

For the sake of their safety, Jamal and his family moved away from Huddersfield in early 2019.

Unfortunately, Robinson's actions since his early release do not indicate that we can expect any improved behaviour from the alt-right nationalist. Despite a mounting history of legal convictions, public outcry, and judicial warnings, Robinson remains defiant, weaponising narratives of censorship while denying the harm he has inflicted on a young, vulnerable boy. His recent 20-minute-long livestream stands in stark contrast to Jamal's situation, where he has been forced into hiding by Robinson's supporters. Though for Robinson his ordeal is over, the consequences of his actions continue to echo beyond the courtroom.