Pro-Palestinian activists acquitted of damaging Israeli-made products

Three pro-Palestinian activists have been acquitted of causing criminal damage to Israeli-made Sodastream products in a west Belfast supermarket.

Martin Rafferty, 58, of Carnmoney Road in Newtownabbey and Eoin Davey, 57, and Yasmary Perdomo, 50, both of Springfield Road in Belfast, were jointly charged over an alleged incident in Sainsbury's in the Kennedy Centre in July 2024.

They were alleged to have placed BDS (Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions) stickers on the fizzy water goods.

All three denied the charge.

The BDS movement calls for economic and cultural boycotts of Israel and Israeli settlements.

Rafferty, Davey and Perdomo attended Belfast Magistrates' Court on Monday for a scheduled trial hearing.

However, the Public Prosecution Service (PPS) offered no evidence against the three defendants.

They were formally acquitted after District Judge Anne Marshall dismissed the case.

Speaking outside court, their legal representative hailed it as a "spectacular" outcome.

Solicitor Aiden Carlin claimed the prosecution had "made every attempt to secure a conviction - even though there was literally no evidence of any alleged damage".

Carlin also said the decision came after a total of 13 separate hearings.

"It is an injustice that our clients had to come to court multiple times since last June before the PPS offered 'no evidence' this morning," he added.

"We urge the PPS to withdraw similar cases which have been brought against other BDS activists."

In a statement, the PPS said it has "a general duty to keep prosecution decisions under consideration and take into account any change in circumstances that occurs as the case proceeds".

"Where new information or evidence becomes available it is considered along with all the existing information and evidence in the case and the test for prosecution applied, as happened in this case.

"Following a change in the evidence available in this case, it was determined that the test for prosecution was no longer met."