Richard Medhurst was born in Damascus, Syria, on 20 August 1992 to a Syrian mother and a British father. Both of his parents served as United Nations Peacekeepers, partaking in missions in Angola, Lebanon, Syria, India and Kashmir. In 1988, they—along with the entire Peacekeepers force—were awarded with the Nobel Peace Prize "for preventing armed clashes and creating conditions for negotiations".[10] His father, Paul Medhurst, is a doctor of political science, published author[11] and a retired professor who formerly taught at American Military University.[12] He has stated that due to his parents' work, he was moved around often and that his entire secondary school education was completed in French.[5]
Career
In 2006, Medhurst created his eponymous YouTube channel. Since 2019, he has uploaded videos covering a myriad of topics, initially centring mostly on United States politics but later shifting to international affairs, with a particular focus on the Middle East and Muslim world as a whole. In 2022, he received the Silver Playbutton after reaching 100k subscribers on the platform.[2] Medhurst has been demonetised on two different occasions, once in July 2020 with the website citing reused content and again in October 2023 in the early stages of the Gaza war for claimed non-compliance with the site's Partner Programme Policies. In both instances, Medhurst denounced YouTube's actions, claiming discrimination and the unjust theft of his primary source of income based on his unfavourable coverage of Israel. Following his latest demonetisation, Medhurst moved much of his coverage to Rumble, remaining on YouTube only to discuss topics he is not concerned will garner retaliation from the platform.[13][14] YouTube has not commented on the matter publicly.
Medhurst identifies as a Syrian Christian. He is a staunch critic of the Israeli government as well as the pro-Israel lobby in the U.K and in the U.S, lambasting Zionism as being antithetical to true Christianity.[20]
On 15 August 2024, Medhurst was arrested at Heathrow Airport in London, United Kingdom, under the Section 12 of the U.K’s Terrorism Act 2000. The section, “makes it an offense to invite support for a proscribed organization; express an opinion or belief that is supportive of a proscribed organization and in doing so is reckless as to whether a person to whom the expression is directed will be encouraged to support a proscribed organization; or to arrange, manage or assist in arranging or managing a meeting in support of a proscribed organization...”[23] Medhurst was removed from a plane by five plainclothes officers and one wearing tactical gear before being moved to a police station for interrogation. He was not allowed to contact his family during his incarceration. Medhurst said of the incident, “I reject what the police said about me and their claims. I’m not engaged in terrorism. That’s really ridiculous.”[24] Medhurst's arrest was condemned by the National Union of Journalists and the International Federation of Journalists in a joint-statement, with the organisations remarking, “Richard Medhurst’s arrest and detention for almost 24 hours using terrorism legislation is deeply concerning and will likely have a chilling effect on journalists in the UK and worldwide, in fear of arrest by UK authorities simply for carrying out their work. Both the NUJ and IFJ are shocked at the increased use of terrorism legislation by the British police in this manner. Journalism is not a crime. Powers contained in anti-terror legislation must be deployed proportionately – not wielded against journalists in ways that inevitably stifle press freedom. We will continue to monitor this case and urge the authorities to provide urgent clarity as to the nature of this ongoing investigation.”[25][19]
Medhurst was arrested again on 3 February 2025, this time by Austrian authorities who raided his home and accused him of affiliations with Hamas. His studio was searched extensively and his electronic devices were seized. The NUJ and IFJ again sharply criticised his arrest, with the NUJ saying, "We have repeatedly voiced our concern over the chilling effect caused by the targeting of journalists using anti-terror legislation. The latest investigation into Richard Medhurst will no doubt leave journalists worried about approaches being adopted by international governments. We need greater transparency from both the British and Austrian police and call once more, for the proportionate use of police powers. No journalist at home or abroad should fear detention or their ability to protect sources simply for carrying out their duties." The IFJ meanwhile opined that, “The arrest of Richard Medhurst in Austria is an alarming and unacceptable attack on press freedom. This detention not only violates Medhurst's fundamental rights as a journalist but also undermines the core principles of democracy. We stand in unwavering solidarity with Richard and all journalists who face persecution for doing their job. We remind governments everywhere that a free and independent press is essential to a free society."[26]
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