Shams Sadiq, 51, who owns two cafes in Manchester and has publicly supported Palestinian causes, said the approach occurred on May 15 at Ashton-under-Lyne police station when he attended to retrieve electronic devices seized following his arrest last year in connection with alleged offenses linked to Palestine Action.

Sadiq told The Guardian that two officers, whom he believed were connected to Operation Wildflower, a Greater Manchester Police initiative focused on activism-related concerns, informed him they were aware of his involvement with Palestine Action but that no charges would be brought arising from his arrest.

According to Sadiq, the officers then sought his cooperation, telling him there were advantages to assisting authorities. He alleged that financial benefits were discussed and that officers suggested they could overlook certain minor infractions, while making clear that serious crimes would not be tolerated.

Sadiq said the officers also referenced his standing within the local community, leading him to believe they were interested in information about individuals attending mosques or holding extremist views.

The allegations come amid heightened scrutiny of Palestine Action, a pro-Palestinian activist organization that has faced increased attention from British authorities over direct-action campaigns targeting companies and institutions linked to Israel.

In a separate incident four days before the alleged recruitment attempt, Sadiq said he was stopped and questioned for more than three hours at Manchester Airport under Schedule 7 of the Terrorism Act after returning from Morocco. He was not arrested but said officers questioned him about Palestine Action, Iran and his financial circumstances, including his mortgage obligations.

Sadiq told The Guardian that his electronic devices were confiscated during the airport stop and later returned following a meeting with officers at the airport. He said the officers were cordial and apologetic during that encounter.

A vocal supporter of Palestinian causes, Sadiq has attended demonstrations and produced stickers for Palestinian organizations and cultural events. Local media previously reported that miniature Israeli flags were placed on the door of one of his cafes following his public activism.

Sadiq said he decided to speak publicly about the alleged recruitment effort because of concerns for his safety and reputation. He said his arrest last year had affected relationships within his community and that he feared ongoing scrutiny despite not being charged.
His solicitor, Simon Pook, said formal representations were being made to Greater Manchester Police regarding the incident.

Pook questioned whether the use of Schedule 7 powers was appropriate if the objective had been to encourage cooperation with law enforcement rather than investigate suspected terrorism-related activity.
Neither police nor other authorities were quoted in the report as responding to the allegations.

Shaath, 54, said in a video statement released on May 14 that French officials had initiated deportation proceedings against him on the basis that he posed a threat to public security. He said the measures formed part of what he described as a broader effort to silence Palestinian voices and supporters of the Palestinian cause in France.

France’s Interior Ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the allegations or the legal basis for the proposed deportation.
Shaath said the move followed administrative difficulties related to renewing his French residency permit despite longstanding family ties in France.

He also alleged that French authorities or associated institutions had closed his bank account and suspended his health insurance coverage, affecting his ability to travel, work and access medical care.
He said he and his family planned to challenge the proceedings in French and European courts.

Shaath helped establish the pro-Palestinian organization Urgence Palestine after the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war. He has been a prominent advocate of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement targeting Israel and has linked Palestinian activism with broader opposition to authoritarian governance in the Arab world.

Born to Egyptian and Palestinian parents, Shaath founded the Egyptian branch of the BDS movement in 2014. Egyptian authorities arrested him in 2019, and he remained in detention for more than two years before being released in January 2022.

Following his release, Shaath told The Associated Press that Egyptian authorities had never formally charged him. He said he was initially held in overcrowded conditions before later being isolated in a windowless detention cell.

French President Emmanuel Macron publicly welcomed Shaath’s release from Egyptian custody in 2022.

Shaath is married to a French citizen and has a French-Palestinian daughter. His case emerges as European governments face mounting tensions over balancing domestic security concerns with protections for political activism tied to the conflict in Gaza.