By Victory Oisaemi, Abuja
Tommy Robinson Detained at Heathrow, Phone Seized Over Online Posts on Northern Ireland Unrest
British anti-Islam activist Tommy Robinson was detained at Heathrow Airport on Saturday and had his phone seized by police following a week of intense online commentary about violent unrest in Northern Ireland.
Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, said on social media platform X that he was held for about three hours under the Counter-Terrorism and Border Security Act, describing the incident as politically motivated and calling for donations to fund his legal defence.
He claimed authorities confiscated his mobile phone during the detention.
According to his posts, Robinson had been actively commenting online on recent riots in Northern Ireland, which erupted after a viral video showed a violent stabbing incident in Belfast that left a man injured. A Sudanese national has been charged with attempted murder in connection with the attack, while police say the case is not being treated as terrorism.
In the aftermath, reports indicated that rioters targeted homes and businesses belonging to ethnic minorities and foreign residents, prompting condemnation from government officials who described the violence as racist in nature.
Local authorities also alleged that far-right online figures played a role in amplifying or encouraging the unrest.
A police spokesperson confirmed that officers stopped a man in his 40s at Heathrow Airport after his return to the UK via Russia and Turkey. The individual was interviewed, had his devices seized, and was later released.
Police did not name the suspect, but the timing and circumstances match Robinson’s account of the incident.
