UK Lawyers for Israel (UKLFI) has called on the mental health charity Mind to investigate a person (A) believed to be the manager of one of its charity shops, after A publicly expressed support for Hamas and Hezbollah, both proscribed terrorist organisations in the UK.

In a letter to Mind’s Chief Executive, Dr Sarah Hughes, and Chair of Trustees, Clarke Carlisle, UKLFI raised concerns about statements made by A during a media interview at a pro-Palestinian demonstration in London on 10 October 2026.

During the interview, A was asked whether he/she supported Iranian-backed organisations including Hamas and Hezbollah. A replied: “I support them. The reason why is because they’re freedom fighters.”

A added: “At the end of the day, they are the resistance.”

When challenged about Hezbollah firing rockets into Israel, A responded: “As far as I’m concerned, Israel is the problem of the world. It’s the biggest cancer of the world.”

Although A was not named in the interview, UKLFI believes he/she is the manager of one of Mind’s charity shops. A’s appearance matches photographs published on the shop’s Instagram account, which identifies A as its manager. A local resident also recognised A.

UKLFI has warned Mind that the comments raise serious concerns under counterterrorism legislation and Charity Commission guidance.

Hamas and Hezbollah are both proscribed in their entirety under the Terrorism Act 2000. Section 12(1A) makes it an offence to express an opinion or belief supportive of a proscribed organisation where, in doing so, the speaker is reckless as to whether a person whom it is directed will be encouraged to support it.

UKLFI has also raised concerns about the use of the shop’s premises and official Instagram account to display political material unrelated to Mind’s charitable purposes.

Photographs posted by the shop show football shirts bearing the flags of Iran and Palestine, displayed with keffiyehs. Other photographs show A wearing a necklace depicting the entire territory of Israel in the colours of the Palestinian flag, a symbol UKLFI says is widely understood as denying Israel’s existence.

The shop also promoted the sale of the football shirts on Instagram, subsequently announcing that they had sold out.

UKLFI argues that using a mental health charity’s premises and official social media channels to promote political causes unrelated to its charitable purposes raises questions about compliance with Charity Commission guidance.

It also warned that Jewish and Israeli customers, volunteers and service users could feel unwelcome in a shop displaying symbols perceived as denying Israel’s existence. Similarly, Iranian refugees who have fled the Islamic Republic may find displays of the regime’s flag distressing.

UKLFI pointed out that Mind’s own social media guidelines prohibit discriminatory, inflammatory and hateful content, including antisemitism.

A UKLFI spokesperson said:

“It is deeply disturbing that someone apparently managing a shop for one of Britain’s best-known mental health charities should publicly express support for Hamas and Hezbollah, organisations responsible for terrorist violence.

“Mind exists to support people facing mental health difficulties, regardless of their background or beliefs. Its charity shops should be welcoming environments for everyone, not platforms for divisive political messaging.

“Charity trustees have clear responsibilities to protect their organisations from associations with terrorism and to ensure that charitable resources are used for their proper purposes. We expect Mind to take these concerns seriously and investigate them thoroughly.”