Tommy Robinson walks free four months early after inmate plots and fears for his safety in jail
Tommy Robinson has been released from prison four months early after the far-right activist was reportedly marked for death by a fellow inmate serving a life sentence.
Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, was sentenced in October 2024 to 18 months behind bars for contempt of court. A judge found him guilty of multiple breaches of an injunction barring him from repeating false claims about Jamal Hijazi, a Syrian refugee he previously defamed.
The 42-year-old walked out of HMP Woodhill in Buckinghamshire with a thick beard and longer hair, looking markedly different from when he was jailed. He addressed his followers in a 20-minute livestream, wearing a rosary around his neck and declaring that “the country doesn’t believe in free speech.”
His early release comes after prison officials confirmed there were serious threats against his life. A court heard that at least two inmates plotted to assault him for “kudos,” and one lifer had threatened to kill him. The Ministry of Justice moved him to a closed wing for protection.
Despite appealing against the length of his sentence and the conditions of his imprisonment, Robinson’s initial bid was rejected. His lawyers argued that isolation was making him mentally ill and cited his ADHD and PTSD diagnoses. While in segregation, Robinson had access to a laptop, email, and extended visiting rights—including over 80 visits and authorisation for 120 people to see him.
Robinson’s release was made possible after he “purged” his contempt by pledging to respect the 2021 High Court injunction. That injunction had followed a £100,000 libel judgment in favour of Hijazi, who had been wrongly accused of violent behaviour by Robinson. In fact, Hijazi had been the victim of a schoolyard assault, a video of which went viral in 2018.
In a written ruling, Mr Justice Johnson said Robinson had not shown remorse, but had displayed a “change in attitude.” The judge added that Robinson had promised not to breach the order again and acknowledged the consequences if he did.
The film at the centre of the contempt case, titled Silenced, was shown publicly in Trafalgar Square and posted online, where it was viewed more than 44 million times. It included repeated libellous claims against Hijazi and ignored the terms of the court order.
The judge condemned Robinson’s actions, stating: “Nobody is above the law. Nobody can pick or choose which injunctions they obey. Even if they disagree with the law, they are not entitled to act as judge and jury themselves.”
Robinson now plans to organise a “free speech festival” in London later this year, a move likely to stir further controversy. His supporters have praised his early release as a win for free speech, while critics see it as a worrying leniency for a repeat offender who continues to test the boundaries of lawful expression.
He was originally due for release on 26 July. With the coercive part of his sentence scrapped, and amid heightened concern for his safety, his prison term has ended prematurely.
Though freed, the warning from the courts remains clear: any future breach could land him straight back behind bars.
