Emma Jones praises the heroism of the activists who could face lengthy jail sentences after trying to prevent deportations

Amnesty International has reminded me that the Stansted 15 (Letters, 17 March), whose long-delayed trial begins on Monday in Chelmsford, are facing lengthy jail sentences for non-violent resistance to the hostile environment. These brave activists put their bodies on the line in a bid to prevent a mass deportation which may well have been unlawful. One day, no doubt, their solidarity will be celebrated. In the meantime, this absurd and alarming use of anti-terror law to prosecute human rights defenders makes me question whether those who celebrate (from a very safe distance) the heroism of the suffragettes and the anti-apartheid movement have really learned anything. Can we ask, please, why such courage is only honoured in retrospect?

Emma Jones

Abingdon, Oxfordshire

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