Australia’s far-right Pauline Hanson loses appeal in racism case

Far-right Australian politician Pauline Hanson has failed in her appeal to overturn a racial vilification finding. The finding was made after she told Muslim senator Mehreen Faruqi, who was born in Pakistan, to "go back to Pakistan" in 2022. Hanson, a popular politician known for advocating strict immigration policies and deportations, made the comments following remarks by Senator Faruqi in the wake of Queen Elizabeth's death. The court's decision upholds the initial finding of racial vilification against Senator Hanson.

An Australian court has upheld a ruling that One Nation leader Pauline Hanson racially discriminated against Senator Mehreen Faruqi in a 2022 social media post. Hanson had appealed a 2024 Federal Court decision that found her response to Faruqi's post was an "angry personal attack" and "anti-Muslim," breaching the racial discrimination act. The court dismissed Hanson's argument that political communication should be protected. Senator Faruqi stated the win was for those whose belonging in Australia is questioned and that "hate speech is not free speech." The original ruling found Hanson's post, a variation of "go back to where you came from," was a racist trope implicitly targeting Muslims. Hanson was ordered to delete the tweet and pay legal costs.

A federal court has upheld a previous finding that Pauline Hanson engaged in racial discrimination against Greens Senator Mehreen Faruqi. The ruling came after Hanson appealed a judgment that her September 2022 tweet, telling Faruqi to "pack your bags and piss off back to Pakistan," breached the Racial Discrimination Act. Hanson's appeal failed on all seven grounds. The court found Hanson's tweet was "seriously offensive" and intimidating, portraying Faruqi as a "second-class citizen" and using a "racist trope." Faruqi stated the ruling was a victory for anyone told to "go back to where you came from" and that hate speech is not free speech. Hanson indicated her legal team is reviewing the decision for a potential High Court appeal.