UK anti-Islam activist detained at Heathrow for three hours after returning from Russia

British police detained anti-Islam activist Tommy Robinson at London’s Heathrow Airport on Saturday when he returned to the UK from Russia via Turkey. Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, was held for about three hours and questioned under counterterrorism and border security powers. Police said only that “the man” was interviewed by officers, his electronic devices were seized, and he was later released.

After his release, Robinson posted on X about the confiscation of his phone and asked followers to help finance his legal fight. “My phone was confiscated by police. Please help kickstart my legal defence fund,” he wrote. The stop came after a week in which he had posted extensively about violent and racist unrest in Northern Ireland.

The Belfast unrest followed the circulation of a social media video showing a brutal stabbing in which a man lost an eye. A Sudanese citizen was charged with attempted murder, but law enforcement said they did not treat the stabbing as a terrorist attack. In the days that followed, homes and businesses belonging to ethnic minorities and foreign residents were attacked across the area, and the British minister responsible for the region called the violence “racist bullying.” Local politicians in Ireland also accused online agitators and far-right figures of actively helping coordinate and promote the street violence.

Robinson is one of Britain’s most prominent far-right, anti-Islam activists. He rose to prominence as founder and leader of the English Defence League, and later built a large online following while pursuing repeated, high-profile legal battles with British authorities. In October 2025, he made a controversial official visit to Israel at the invitation of Diaspora Affairs Minister Amichai Chikli, who described him as a leading opponent of radical Islam. The trip was funded with flights and accommodation, and included plans for Knesset meetings and a visit to Judea and Samaria. During the visit, Robinson attended social and political events in Tel Aviv and voiced support for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Likud, presenting Israel as a key Western ally.