News|Israel-Palestine conflictPro-Palestine activists acquitted of burglary at Israeli arms site in UKFilton24 defendants, members of Palestine Action, found not guilty as prosecutors fail to provide evidence.
All defendants in the Filton24 case in the United Kingdom have been acquitted of aggravated burglary at a UK branch of Elbit Systems in Bristol. The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) confirmed during a hearing at Woolwich Crown Court on Wednesday that it…
All defendants in the Filton24 case in the United Kingdom have been acquitted of aggravated burglary at a UK branch of Elbit Systems in Bristol. The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) confirmed during a hearing at Woolwich Crown Court on Wednesday that it could not provide evidence to support the charges.
The defendants are associated with the campaign group Palestine Action. Five individuals, who have been on remand for 14-18 months, will be released, except for one person who requires bail for another case.
This decision follows a recent High Court ruling that declared the government's ban on Palestine Action as a "terror group" unlawful. Earlier, the first six defendants from the Filton24 were acquitted of aggravated burglary, a charge carrying a maximum life sentence.
All defendants in the Filton24 case in the United Kingdom have been acquitted of aggravated burglary at a UK branch of Elbit Systems in Bristol.
Three defendants, Zoe Rogers, Fatema Zainab Rajwani, and Jordan Devlin, were also acquitted of violent disorder. No verdicts were reached on other charges, and prosecutors have indicated a retrial on these counts. Several defendants are expected to seek bail in the coming weeks.
Elbit Systems, Israel's largest private arms company, has been the focus of several demonstrations amid ongoing protests. These events have resulted in over 1,600 arrests related to pro-Palestine activism following the initial ban on Palestine Action.
Based on reporting by Al Jazeera.
