THE United Nations special rapporteur on environmental defenders under the Aarhus Convention, Michel Forst, attended the ongoing trial of five Just Stop Oil supports today.

Daniel Shaw, Cressie Gethin, Lucia De-Abreu-Whittaker, Louise Lancaster and Roger Hallam are currently on trial at Southwark Crown Court, charged with conspiracy to cause a public nuisance on the M25 in November 2022.

They were arrested either pre-emptively in police raids at their homes or while travelling near the M25  following the Sun newspaper boasting that it had “infiltrated” a meeting and tipped off the police.

The Aarhus Convention, to which Britain is a signatory, aims to promote environmental democracy through public access to information, decision-making participation, and justice in environmental matters.

The special rapporteur monitors its parties’ implementation of the convention’s provisions, ensuring compliance with obligations.

Last week, Mr Frost said he had sent a letter to the government in March requesting a response to a complaint he had received regarding  Mr Shaw’s case and that it had failed to reply.

“The UK must ensure that any sanction imposed on Mr Shaw for his involvement in peaceful environmental protest is reasonable, proportionate and serves a legitimate public purpose,” he said.