UK far-right figurehead Tommy Robinson on Wednesday lost his appeal against an 18-month prison sentence after lawyers for the anti-Muslim activist argued prison was “making him ill”.

In a written ruling, three Court of Appeal judges said new medical evidence presented to the court “fell far short of the standard for a successful criminal appeal”, dismissing his bid to overturn the jail term.

A hearing in London last week heard that Robinson, who is blamed for helping fuel violent anti-immigration riots last year, had seen a deterioration in his mental health due to being held in segregation.

Robinson was sentenced to 18 months in prison for the civil offence of contempt of court last October.

The sentence was imposed after the 42-year-old breached a court order barring him from repeating false allegations he had made about a Syrian refugee, who successfully sued him for libel.

Robinson, who has attracted support from US tech billionaire Elon Musk, is being held apart from other prisoners at a jail in central England due to intelligence that he could be killed by another prisoner.

– Original ruling ‘impeccable’ –

But his attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and a previous episode of complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) meant that this was having a “demonstrable effect” on him, his lawyer argued.

“He is being kept safe, but being safe is making him ill,” Alisdair Williamson told the court.

Lawyers for the Solicitor General, a senior government post advising on legal matters, had urged the judges to reject Robinson’s appeal.

They described the original judge’s ruling as “impeccable” and said there were “no grounds for altering the sentence”.

Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, is a former football hooligan who helped form the now-defunct far-right English Defence League in 2009.

He has amassed a large online following built around his vehemently anti-Muslim, anti-immigrant messaging.

In February, thousands of Robinson supporters marched in London demanding his release, prompting Musk to post a message of support on his online platform X.

Robinson brands himself a free-speech advocate and has previously served time for contempt of court, which is not a crime under criminal law but can be sanctioned with a jail term.

He also has several criminal convictions, including for assault.

Demonstrators at anti-immigrant riots which erupted across England and Northern Ireland in late July and early August 2024 could be heard chanting his name.

He was widely condemned for a stream of social media posts during the week of violence, which was sparked by false rumours that the suspect behind the fatal stabbings of three young girls was a Muslim asylum seeker.