The Socialist Equality Party (UK) opposes the arrest and persecution of Dr. Ranjeet Brar, general secretary of the Communist Party of Great Britain (Marxist-Leninist). Maintaining its irreconcilable political differences with the Maoist CPGB-ML, the SEP denounces this anti-democratic act aimed at suppressing and intimidating anti-war speech and sentiment.

Brar, employed as a National Health Service (NHS) consultant vascular and endovascular surgeon at King’s College Hospital, was arrested on April 9 by Metropolitan Police officers at his home under Section 18 of the Public Order Act—on allegations of a racially aggravated offence. He was taken to a police station despite him being the only adult in the house caring for his children, the youngest of whom is six years old.

A statement by the CPGB-ML issued April 9, said, “Not only have the police arrested him, they arranged to have him suspended from his work as an NHS surgeon for at least two weeks—no doubt with a view to further suspension and ultimately with the aim of depriving him of work.”

Brar was released later that evening. He has now been arrested five times over the past few years, targeted in connection with the Labour government’s clampdown on protests against the genocide of the Palestinians in Gaza—backed by Washington and London.

On November 25, 2023, Brar and three other members of the CPGB-ML were arrested at a mass protest in central London for displaying a book, Zionism: A Racist, Antisemitic and Reactionary Tool of Imperialism. The book’s cover art links the swastika and the Star of David. While the four were held overnight in police detention, their homes were raided by counter-terrorism police who seized computers and phones.

Brar’s latest arrest came just five days after he made a speech outside the US embassy in London denouncing the Iran war.

During the speech he declared, “Israel, its genocidal settler-colonial entity, has no right to existence. It needs to be wiped off the face of the map and replaced with the word Palestine in its entirety.” He stated his belief that the war would pave the way for the artificial borders created in the Middle East under the Sykes-Picot Agreement in the early 20th century to be torn up.

Speaking on The Crispin Flintoff Show, Brar explained, “On the Wednesday [April 8] night, my hospital called me and told me I’ve been suspended for two weeks. I’ve never been suspended by my hospital before. They said it was an emergency to investigate this case of antisemitism which was alleged. I’ve asked them for more details. They’ve not given them to me.

“So, that’s ongoing and I can keep you informed, but they haven’t got a leg to stand on. There’s not a racist bone in my body. I’m a lifelong anti-racist campaigner. So, that will go nowhere.”

The police then arrested him “under Section 18 of the Public Order Act, racially aggravated crime, a speech intended to inflame racial hatred. That’s their proposition.”

Brar noted, “They were very interested in Sykes-Picot. I just gave a no-comment type interview after making a statement saying Zionism is not Judaism, I’m an anti-racist, and Zionism itself is racist.” He added, “To accuse me of being racist on the basis of attacking Israel or Zionism means to equate the two,” which is “itself a racist position.”

According to Brar, the police “were trying to lure me into saying which groups within the axis of resistance I supported, into expressing some support for banned groups.”

This is the latest act of political repression aimed at health workers, trampling on their rights to freedom of political expression, protest and speech.

Last month, Dr. Rahmeh Aladwan, a trainee NHS surgeon—with an impeccable record over seven years—was arrested under the Terrorism Act (2000) and the Public Order Act (1986) in connection with statements opposing the genocide in Gaza.

This was her fifth arrest—part of a campaign of intimidation and harassment led by Zionist lobby groups, police agencies and the Starmer Labour government.

In November 2025, Aladwan was suspended from the UK medical register for 15 months at a tribunal, pending the outcome of a General Medical Council (GMC) Fitness to Practise investigation. The government is now planning to hand more powers to the GMC and Professional Standards Authority to sanction opponents of war and genocide as “racist” or “antisemitic”.

Following a hearing at the Old Bailey last week, Aladwan is to be tried in March 2027, accused of “inviting support for a proscribed organisation” (Hamas) and stirring racial hatred.

As NHS FightBack noted in her defence, the charges “relate to public speech and social media posts in 2025 against Israel’s genocide in Gaza and supporting the right of Palestinian armed resistance, a right recognised under international law, including the United Nations Charter.”

Until its proscription by the Starmer government on July 5, 2025, Aladwan was a member of protest group, Palestine Action (PA).

Following the latest mass arrest earlier this month of 523 peaceful protesters in London—who carried a sign reading: “I support Palestine Action”—the total number arrested for indicating support for the group stands at 3,302. These arrests were carried out despite the UK’s High Court having ruled the PA proscription unlawful on February 13.

On Tuesday and Wednesday this week, the Court of Appeal will hear Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood’s appeal of that decision.

These unprecedented attacks on democratic rights and freedoms must be opposed. The SEP demands that the charges against Brar and Aladwan are dropped and that they are allowed to resume their jobs, free from intimidation and attacks on the right to free speech, assembly and association.