Palestinian NHS doctor says her arrest for ‘stirring racial hatred’ is ‘political theatre’

A British-Palestinian doctor working for the NHS who was arrested from her family home in the UK county of Gloucestershire on Tuesday on suspicion of inciting "racial hatred" has said that her arrest was "punitive" and "political theatre".

The doctor, Rahmeh Aladwan, 31, who was also charged with sending malicious messages and misusing a public communications network, is also set to attend a hearing on whether she is fit to practice in the next two days.

The arrest of Aladwan was captured in a video that has since been widely shared on social media. In the footage, an officer from London's Metropolitan Police informs her she is under arrest for four offences.

The officer stated that the offences relate to remarks she made on 21 July at a pro-Palestine rally which took place outside of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

The comments "…amounted to calls for the eradication of Israel and implied support for all those involved in armed resistance against Israel, including organisations such as Hamas," the officer stated.

My arrest was political theatre, not policing. Let's break it down:

1. The Coordination:
· The Metropolitan Police travelled from London to another city to arrest me.
· The charge: A speech from July and 3 social media (X) posts.
· The timing: 48 hours before my GMC hearing.

2.… pic.twitter.com/LzFet85VNy

— Dr Rahmeh Aladwan (@doctor_rahmeh) October 22, 2025

The officer added that her speech included "comments that can be interpreted as antisemitic, including antisemitic tropes which could be considered grossly offensive in character".

In a social media post on X on Wednesday, Aladwan called her arrest "political theatre," noting that police travelled from London to her hometown to arrest her and that hat her arrest came days before her hearing.

In the post, she says she was "denied water for 6+ hours, refused essential medication, held in a freezing cell, denied a blanket and isolated with a disabled intercom," calling this "punitive measures".

Her legal team issued a statement saying the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service found that Aladwan’s posts "posed no threat to patient safety, she had an unblemished record, zero complaints from patients, no evidence of misconduct, right to free speech under Article 10 ECHR was engaged and protected".

Her team also noted that Health Secretary Wes Streeting made "public, prejudicial remarks about the case" and that the pro-Israel Campaign Against Antisemitism boasted that they were behind efforts to put Aladwan under investigation for misconduct.

"This case has now become one of clear ministerial overreach, with interference in the independence of a medical tribunal.  Attacks by politicians and ministers on judicial decisions is unacceptable as it undermines the rule of law," Rahman Lowe solicitors wrote about the case.

The New Arab has reached out to Aladwan and the Metropolitan Police for comment but did not receive a response by the time of publication. 

Aladwan has doubled down on her comments, stating all her remarks made on social media and in public speeches abide by UK laws.

Addressing her alleged support for terrorism, she writes: "I support the Palestinian right to resistance, including armed struggle—a right enshrined in international law. I am legally entitled to refuse to condemn this right or any proscribed groups. Hamas should be de-proscribed".

She also addressed her social media posts, which called for Israel to no longer exist, stating: "This is protected legal and political speech. No 'state' has an inherent 'right to exist,' especially one that is genocidal. There is no right for jews to have their own 'state' simply by virtue of their faith".

Aladwan’s arrest and comments came as Gaza reels from two years of genocidal war, despite a fragile ceasefire brokered by US President Donald Trump which has been in effect for less than two weeks.

Over 68,000 Palestinians have been killed, with many dying of starvation due to Israel's near-total siege of the territory and blocking of humanitarian aid.