TOMMY Robinson – whose real is name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon – claims he has been “arrested” in Mexico, separated from his children and faces deportation.
The 39-year-old who founded the English Defence League posted a clip to the Telegram messaging app from what he says is Cancun Airport, expressing his anger that his holiday has been ruined.
Staff at the airport told Robinson that the reasoning for his arrest is “confidential” but that it was instructed from Mexico City.
In one of the clips, Robinson said: “Many of you know I find it hard to live in England because I can’t open a bank account, I can’t rent a house.
“So I’ve been separated from my kids for quite a while, I haven’t really been able to have a proper family life.
“It’s half-term, so I get my week’s holiday with my children. I’ve been so excited about it. I’ve landed at Cancun Airport with my three children, I’ve been arrested, I’ve been separated from my kids, and now I’m being deported as a matter of national security.
“You speak about Islam, that’s all I’ve f****** done. Ask yourself what I’ve done, what are my convictions, what have I actually f****** done, what have I done? Spoke about Islam. Criticised Islam.
“I’ve been separated from my three f****** kids. My mate’s here, I travelled with my friend and his children, so he’s got my children. Now I’m being deported from Mexico. Like, what the f*** is going on.
“I’m a journalist who reports on serious issues in the UK. I can’t rent a house. I can’t open a bank account. I can’t travel to Mexico. Mexico.
“I’m banned from Mexico. I’ve not committed a crime here, I’ve been here three times. Landed with my children for what was clearly a family holiday.
“Been arrested, detained, separated from my kids, and now they’re allowing me my phone call, then they’re taking my phone again.”
Robinson has convictions for fraud, stalking, assault, using someone else’s passport, using threatening behaviour and contempt of court.
It comes after he last month failed to appear at court in connection with unpaid legal bills after he lost a libel case brought against him by a Syrian teenager last year.
Robinson faces the possibility of being held in contempt of court, which can be punished by up to two years in prison or an unlimited fine.
The EDL founder was successfully sued by Jamal Hijazi after the then 15-year-old was assaulted at Almondbury Community School in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, in October 2018.
Shortly after a video of the incident went viral, Robinson claimed in two Facebook videos that Hijazi was “not innocent and he violently attacks young English girls in his school”, claims a High Court judge later found to be false.
After a pre-trial hearing for the libel case in November 2020, Robinson was ordered to pay more than £43,000 in legal costs.
He declared bankruptcy about four months later, which the court heard has since been discharged.
Last month, Hijazi’s lawyers successfully applied for an order requiring Robinson to return to the Royal Courts of Justice to answer questions about his finances.