LONDON

More than 70 organizations in the UK have called for the bank account of a Scottish pro-Palestine group to be unfrozen.

Trade unions, charities, and other NGOs are among some 70 organizations that have called for the Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign (SPSC) bank account to be unfrozen.

The call came after the group said it had its funds frozen by Unity Trust Bank last month after the group Palestine Action was banned by the British government.

The group’s website apparently had a link to donate to Palestine Action, which was removed after the group was listed as a terrorist organization, according to Scottish daily The National.

In an open letter on Friday, dozens of groups urged the Unity Trust Bank – which provides specialist business banking services to trade unions, charities, and other non-profits – to reverse its decision to free the group's bank account.

"This recent action against SPSC undermines this self-professed commitment and aligns the bank with those who seek to silence legitimate criticism of the Israeli government’s actions in Gaza," read the letter.

The freezing does not reflect the "values of transparency, fairness, or ethical banking," it said.

The letter also called on Unity Trust Bank to investigate the circumstances around the decision to freeze the pro-Palestine group's account and to clarify if there were any third parties involved with the move.

Palestine Action was banned in July under the 2000 Terrorism Act after activists spray-painted planes at a Royal Air Force base.

UN human rights chief Volker Turk also raised serious concerns over the ban, calling it a "disturbing misuse" of counter-terrorism laws and saying it risks undermining fundamental freedoms.