Activists Urge UK Home Secretary to Grant Judith Clark Visa

Human rights activists and celebrities are calling on Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood to grant a UK visa to Judith Clark, a 77-year-old former member of the radical US group Weather Underground. The Home Office recently refused Clark's application to visit Britain from November 4 to 15, where she was invited to speak on restorative justice at a Royal Shakespeare Company production of Julius Caesar and attend her daughter's novel launch.

Clark served 37 years in prison after being convicted as a getaway driver in a 1981 armored truck robbery that resulted in three deaths. Supporters, including lawyer Helena Kennedy and actor Harriet Walter, argue that Clark's extensive rehabilitation work during her incarceration and her current role as director of the Survivors Justice Project demonstrate she poses no threat to national security.

The Home Office declined to comment on the specific case, stating that all applications are considered based on Immigration Rules. Advocates continue to urge the government to exercise ministerial discretion given Clark's age and her history of non-violent political activism following her sentence.