25 June 2020updated 23 Jul 2021 9:51am

Amnesty International: We never reported that “neck kneeling“ is taught by Israelis to US

The organisation has clarified that its report does not constitute evidence to support the allegations at the centre of the sacking of Rebecca Long-Bailey

By Ailbhe Rea

LONDON, ENGLAND - APRIL 14: Maxine Peake speaks during the Working Class Heroes event, a series of discussions and screenings looking at what it means to be working class in film and TV in the Britain of 2018 at BFI Southbank on April 14, 2018 in London, England. (Photo by John Phillips/Getty Images)

Amnesty International has clarified that it has never reported that “neck kneeling” is a technique taught by the Israeli secret services, after a 2016 report from the organisation was used in support of actor Maxine Peake’s allegation that Israeli secret services taught US police the technique that was used in the killing of George Floyd in Minnesota.

The shadow education secretary, Rebecca Long-Bailey, was today sacked from Keir Starmer’s shadow cabinet for sharing an Independent interview with Peake containing the above claim. The Labour leader has described the allegation as an “anti-Semitic conspiracy theory”.