The White House has said it is "monitoring" the case of Lucy Connolly following an escalation of tensions regarding free speech with Sir Keir Starmer.
US officials are keeping an eye on the treatment of Connolly, who has been jailed for 31 months over a social media post about the Southport attacks.
Connolly, the wife of a Conservative councillor, wrote on social media platform X: "Mass deportation now, set fire to all the f***ing hotels full of the b******s for all I care, while you're at it, take the treacherous Government and politicians with them."
Fewer than four hours later, Connolly removed the post after it was viewed 310,000 times. Judges threw out a recent appeal, meaning the mother of one will not be released before August.
The White House has said it is 'monitoring' the case of Lucy Connolly
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Connolly was arrested on August 6, 2024, following widespread riots across the country over the stabbing attack by Axel Rudakubana.
Campaigners raised her case with the US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, as part of an effort to challenge hate speech laws across Europe.
A spokesman for the state department said: "We can confirm that we are monitoring this matter.
"The United States supports freedom of expression at home and abroad, and remains concerned about infringements on freedom of expression."
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British politicians have also criticised Connolly's sentencing and have credited the White House for its interventions.
Ex-Home Secretary Suella Braverman said: "Lucy Connolly is effectively a political prisoner and should be freed immediately. She made an ill-judged tweet, soon deleted.
"That the US is investigating this case is a sad indictment of the dire state of free speech under Two-Tier Keir. Free speech is in crisis under Labour.
The US Vice President JD Vance also said at the Munich Security Conference in February: "In Britain and across Europe, free speech, I fear, is in retreat."
Lucy Connolly had her application to appeal rejected
XLord Justice Holroyde, Mr Justice Goss and Mr Justice Sheldon refused Connolly's application to appeal last week.
In a written judgment, Lord Justice Holroyde said: "There is no arguable basis on which it could be said that the sentence imposed by the judge was manifestly excessive.
"The application for leave to appeal against sentence, therefore, fails and is refused."
Holroyde added that the ground of appeal "was substantially based on a version of events put forward by the applicant which we have rejected."
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