LEADING environmental and social justice campaigners have called for the Ministry of Justice to drop cases against peaceful climate change activists in an open letter made public today.

Veteran campaigner for human rights Kumi Naidoo, economist Ann Pettifor, Global Justice Now director Nick Dearden, Greenpeace UK executive director John Sauven, MPs, lords and others signed a letter calling on the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) and public prosecutions director Max Hill to drop their cases against non-violent protesters.

Mr Hill has also received a call from a coalition of solicitors who represent activists with the environment group Extinction Rebellion (XR).

The appeal comes days after a further four cases were dropped at the Old Bailey, citing a Supreme Court ruling that says that, in some instances, protesters have a lawful excuse to take certain disruptive actions.

In the letter, the signatories remind Mr Hill and the CPS that Britain has a significant responsibility to take action on climate change due to the legacy of colonialism which, in Africa, “sees much of the land grabbed for extraction and mining projects that damage the people, their lands, and the prospects of future generations.

“Meanwhile, UK firms enable corruption through some of the most sophisticated tax-avoidance schemes.”

The letter asks: “Should the UK put its young people in prison for telling that truth,” citing the case against three environmental protesters who face a possible six-month sentence for climbing onto the Houses of Parliament in November last year. They face trial this October.

The letter reads: “The prosecution of peaceful protesters exercising their freedoms of expression, assembly and association is a breach of Articles 10 and 11 of the European Convention of Human Rights.

“The International Panel on Climate Change report proves again that these protests are a proportional response to the crisis facing all of us; the protesters’ actions are vindicated since they are asking their government to honour its responsibility to protect its present and future citizens in line with expert advice.

“There are occasions of crisis, injustice or violence when protest through direct action is a reasonable, proportional, and necessary response.”

The Ministry of Justice was approached for comment.