Prominent Activist Graham Linehan Arrested Following Complaint from Trans Activist Sarah Jane Baker

Activist and writer Graham Linehan has been arrested following a complaint of alleged harassment from trans activist Sarah Jane Baker. The arrest comes as free speech debates continue in the UK, with related developments including a 2023 tweet by Harry Miller being recorded as a hate crime, according to a recent post by The Free Speech Union. The incident involving Miller stems from his comments welcoming the sacking of a trans police officer.

Harry Miller, a vocal advocate for free speech, learned that a tweet he posted in 2023 was recorded as a hate crime. The Free Speech Union stated that Miller was "hauled in for questioning and a ‘crime’ was marked against his record" after he welcomed the dismissal of a trans police officer. Miller has a history of challenging police recording of "non-crime hate incidents," having previously won a significant Court of Appeal case in 2021 against Humberside Police over similar practices.

Graham Linehan, known for co-creating the TV series Father Ted and for his outspoken views on gender identity, was reportedly arrested on Saturday morning. Multiple news outlets, including GB News and the Daily Mail, have reported that the complaint leading to Linehan's arrest was made by Sarah Jane Baker, a prominent trans activist. The nature of the alleged harassment has not been fully disclosed.

Sarah Jane Baker is widely recognized as an ex-convict and trans activist. She was recently jailed for life in late 2023 for threatening to kill a police officer, a separate incident from the alleged harassment complaint against Linehan. While The Free Speech Union's tweet described the complainant as a "trans police officer, turned activist, that had been sacked" for harassing Miller, web searches do not corroborate Baker's past employment as a police officer or her sacking for harassment.

The Free Speech Union, which authored the tweet, highlighted the interconnectedness of these events, suggesting that the same individual whose sacking Miller welcomed was also the complainant in Linehan's arrest. This situation underscores ongoing tensions surrounding freedom of expression, police conduct, and gender identity issues in the United Kingdom. Further details are expected to emerge as the legal proceedings unfold, with The Telegraph cited as a source for more in-depth reporting.