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Richard Medhurst
Medhurst speaking on Israeli action in the Gaza Strip in June 2024
Born
Richard Thomas Medhurst

(1992-08-20) 20 August 1992 (age 32)
Damascus, Syria
Occupations
YouTube information
Channel
Subscribers335K[1]
Views55 million[1]
Associated acts
Silver Play Button100,000 subscribers2022[2]
Last updated: 30 March 2025

Richard Thomas[3] Medhurst (born 20 August,[4] 1992)[5] is a Syrian-British journalist and YouTuber.[6][7][8] Known for his work on the Middle East, Medhurst was "the first reporter arrested and under investigation under Section 12 of the Terrorism Act 2000".[9]

Early life and education

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Richard Medhurst was born in Damascus, Syria, on 20 August 1992 to a Syrian mother and a British father. Both of his parents served as United Nations Peacekeepers, partaking in missions in Angola, Lebanon, Syria, India and Kashmir. In 1988, they—along with the entire Peacekeepers force—were awarded with the Nobel Peace Prize "for preventing armed clashes and creating conditions for negotiations".[10] His father, Paul Medhurst, is a doctor of political science, published author[11] and a retired professor who formerly taught at American Military University.[12] He has stated that due to his parents' work, he was moved around often and that his entire secondary school education was completed in French.[5]

Career

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In 2006, Medhurst created his eponymous YouTube channel. Since 2019, he has uploaded videos covering a myriad of topics, initially centring mostly on United States politics but later shifting to international affairs, with a particular focus on the Middle East and Muslim world as a whole. In 2022, he received the Silver Playbutton after reaching 100k subscribers on the platform.[2] Medhurst has been demonetised on two different occasions, once in July 2020 with the website citing reused content and again in October 2023 in the early stages of the Gaza war for claimed non-compliance with the site's Partner Programme Policies. In both instances, Medhurst denounced YouTube's actions, claiming discrimination and the unjust theft of his primary source of income based on his unfavourable coverage of Israel. Following his latest demonetisation, Medhurst moved much of his coverage to Rumble, remaining on YouTube only to discuss topics he is not concerned will garner retaliation from the platform.[13][14] YouTube has not commented on the matter publicly.

Outside of YouTube, Medhurst has written for multiple outlets including Al Mayadeen, The New Arab[15] and RT. He has appeared on Al Jazeera,[16] FOX News[17] and LBC.[3] From 2020 to 2022, Medhurst hosted his own show The Communiqué with Richard Medhurst on PressTV.[18]

Personal life

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Medhurst identifies as a Syrian Christian. He is a staunch critic of the Israeli government as well as the pro-Israel lobby in the U.K and in the U.S, lambasting Zionism as being antithetical to true Christianity.[19]

Throughout his career, Medhurst has castigated western policy towards Syria.[5] In the wake of the 2024 fall of the Assad government, he has decried the new regime under Ahmed al-Sharaa as being subservient to the interests of Israel and al-Qaeda.[20]

Medhurst has advocated for the implementation of progressive economic policies such as universal healthcare in the U.S.[21]

Arrests

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On 15 August 2024, Medhurst was arrested at Heathrow Airport in London, United Kingdom, under the Section 12 of the U.K’s Terrorism Act 2000. The section, “makes it an offense to invite support for a proscribed organization; express an opinion or belief that is supportive of a proscribed organization and in doing so is reckless as to whether a person to whom the expression is directed will be encouraged to support a proscribed organization; or to arrange, manage or assist in arranging or managing a meeting in support of a proscribed organization...”[22] Medhurst was removed from a plane by five plainclothes officers and one wearing tactical gear before being moved to a police station for interrogation. He was not allowed to contact his family during his incarceration. Medhurst said of the incident, “I reject what the police said about me and their claims. I’m not engaged in terrorism. That’s really ridiculous.”​​​​​​​[23] Medhurst's arrest was condemned by the National Union of Journalists and the International Federation of Journalists in a joint-statement, with the organisations remarking, “Richard Medhurst’s arrest and detention for almost 24 hours using terrorism legislation is deeply concerning and will likely have a chilling effect on journalists in the UK and worldwide, in fear of arrest by UK authorities simply for carrying out their work. Both the NUJ and IFJ are shocked at the increased use of terrorism legislation by the British police in this manner. Journalism is not a crime. Powers contained in anti-terror legislation must be deployed proportionately – not wielded against journalists in ways that inevitably stifle press freedom. We will continue to monitor this case and urge the authorities to provide urgent clarity as to the nature of this ongoing investigation.”[24]

Medhurst was arrested again on 3 February 2025, this time by Austrian authorities who raided his home and accused him of affiliations with Hamas. His studio was searched extensively and his electronic devices were seized. The NUJ and IFJ again sharply criticised his arrest, with the NUJ saying, "We have repeatedly voiced our concern over the chilling effect caused by the targeting of journalists using anti-terror legislation. The latest investigation into Richard Medhurst will no doubt leave journalists worried about approaches being adopted by international governments. We need greater transparency from both the British and Austrian police and call once more, for the proportionate use of police powers. No journalist at home or abroad should fear detention or their ability to protect sources simply for carrying out their duties." The IFJ meanwhile opined that, “The arrest of Richard Medhurst in Austria is an alarming and unacceptable attack on press freedom. This detention not only violates Medhurst's fundamental rights as a journalist but also undermines the core principles of democracy. We stand in unwavering solidarity with Richard and all journalists who face persecution for doing their job. We remind governments everywhere that a free and independent press is essential to a free society."[25]

References

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  1. ^ a b "About Richard Medhurst". YouTube.
  2. ^ a b Thomas Medhurst, Richard (27 April 2024). THANK YOU FOR 100,000+ SUBSCRIBERS!. Retrieved 30 March 2025 – via YouTube.
  3. ^ a b Medhurst, Richard Thomas. "Biography". richardmedhurst.com. Retrieved 30 March 2025.
  4. ^ Thomas Medhurst, Richard [@richitmedhurst] (21 August 2020). "It's still my birthday for like another 20 mins somewhere in the pacific so just wanted to thank you all for the lovely bday wishes, gifts and kind words 🙏" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  5. ^ a b c Haiphong, Danny (1 July 2020). "Syria, Corporate Media Lies, and the True Face of Imperialism: An Interview with Richard Medhurst". Black Agenda Report. Archived from the original on 3 July 2020. Retrieved 30 March 2025.
  6. ^ "British independent journalist Richard Medhurst raided and detained by Austrian authorities". World Socialist Web Site. 7 February 2025. Retrieved 5 April 2025.
  7. ^ "Anti-Israel commentator Richard Medhurst detained at Heathrow Airport under UK's Terrorism Act". Times of Israel. Retrieved 5 April 2025.
  8. ^ Budin, Christoph (8 February 2025). "Terror raid against son of Nobel Prize winner". Kronen Zeitung. Retrieved 5 April 2025.
  9. ^ "British journalist could face years in prison for refusing to hand over his passwords to the police". Il Fatto Quotidiano (in Italian). 2 January 2025. Retrieved 6 April 2025.
  10. ^ "Nobel Peace Prize 1988". The Nobel Prize. Retrieved 30 March 2025.
  11. ^ Medhurst, Paul (2002). Global Terrorism. UN Institute for Training and Research. Retrieved 30 March 2025.
  12. ^ "Undergraduate Faculty". American Military University. Archived from the original on 8 May 2005. Retrieved 30 March 2025.
  13. ^ Thomas Medhurst, Richard (5 July 2020). URGENT: YouTube Demonetized Me. Retrieved 30 March 2025 – via YouTube.
  14. ^ Thomas Medhurst, Richard (19 October 2023). YouTube Deleted My Reports on Gaza-Israel, Then Demonetized My Channel. Retrieved 30 March 2025 – via YouTube.
  15. ^ Medhurst, Richard Thomas (19 July 2024). "Israel's team lineup is full of soldier-footballers. FIFA's failure to ban it makes it complicit in genocide". The New Arab. Retrieved 30 March 2025.
  16. ^ Clemons, Steve (8 September 2024). Are restrictions on pro-Palestine speech 'the new McCarthyism?'. Retrieved 30 March 2025 – via YouTube.
  17. ^ FOX News (14 April 2024). Richard Medhurst FOX News Interview on Iran and Israel. Retrieved 30 March 2025 – via YouTube.
  18. ^ Medhurst, Richard Thomas. "The Communiqué with Richard Medhurst". PressTV. Retrieved 30 March 2025.
  19. ^ Thomas Medhurst, Richard (20 March 2024). You Can't Be Christian and Support Israel (Zionism Exposed). Retrieved 30 March 2025 – via YouTube.
  20. ^ Thomas Medhurst, Richard [@richitmedhurst] (11 December 2024). "I was born and baptized in Syria. As a Christian and a journalist I have more interest than most in seeing Syria respect freedom of religion and freedom of the press. Syria is secular. And those who celebrate it being turned into an Islamic Caliphate run by Al Qaeda, Israel and NATO are delusional or Zionists and imperialists" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  21. ^ Thomas Medhurst, Richard (14 September 2019). Ben Shapiro: American Healthcare Is Great if You Ignore All the Death. Retrieved 30 March 2025 – via YouTube.
  22. ^ Tape, Nurah (20 August 2024). "'Political Persecution' – Journalist Richard Medhurst Arrested under UK Terrorism Act". Palestine Chronicle. Retrieved 30 March 2025.
  23. ^ Bir, Burik (1 July 2020). "'Trying to make an example out of me': British journalist fears UK using his arrest to silence dissent". Anadolu Agency. Retrieved 30 March 2025.
  24. ^ Stanistreet, Michelle; Bellanger, Anthony (3 September 2024). "NUJ and IFJ statement on arrest of Richard Medhurst". National Union of Journalists. Retrieved 30 March 2025.
  25. ^ Davison, Laura; Bellanger, Anthony (13 February 2025). "Targeting of journalists of grave concern, say NUJ and IFJ". National Union of Journalists. Retrieved 30 March 2025.
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