Cries of joy as Palestine activists granted bail
Getty ImagesThere were tears and cries of joy in court as Palestine Action activists were granted bail following a break-in at a UK site of an Israeli defence firm.
Only one of the 18 defendants was not granted conditional bail by Mr Justice Johnson at the Old Bailey on Friday.
The defendants are facing a series of linked trials along with six others, five of whom were also recently granted conditional bail.
The 24 defendants face charges including criminal damage and violent disorder over the raid on the Elbit Systems site in Filton near Bristol on 6 August 2024.
The group of 18 includes three women and one man who staged hunger strikes in prison.
The defendants appeared by video links from prisons across the country on Friday.
As the judge gave his bail decisions, there were tears from some defendants and expressions of joy from others, following many months on remand.
Outside the Old Bailey, protesters could be heard shouting during the hearings.
GettyPalestine Action allege Elbit Systems UK is involved in the manufacture and supply of weapons to the Israeli military – a claim the company strongly denies.
The trials of the group of 18 are due to start at Woolwich Crown Court on 9 April.
The 18 defendants are:
- Kamran Ahmed, 28, from London
- Sean Middlebrough, 33 from Liverpool
- Qesser Zuhrah, 21, from London
- Julia Brigadirova, 33, from Chorlton
- Zahra Farooque, 25, from London
- Aleksandra Herbich, 41, from London
- Teuta Hoxha, 30, from London
- Heba Muraisi, 31, from London
- Madeline Norman, 31, from Edinburgh
- William Plastow, 35, from Manchester
- Ian Sanders, 46, from Leamington Spa
- Hannah Davidson, 53, from Edinburgh
- Liam Mullany, 23 from Dorset
- Harland Archer, 21, from Whitstable
- Finn Collins, 19, from Whitstable
- Salaam Mahmood, 19, from London
- Louis Adams, 25, from London
- Moiz Ibrahim, 27, from London
The group of six were cleared of aggravated burglary charges on 4 February following a trial at Woolwich Crown Court.
However, they still face charges relating to the break-in and are set to have a retrial in February 2027.
Charlotte Head, 29, Leona Kamio, 30, Fatema Rajwani, 21, Zoe Rogers, 22, and Jordan Devlin, 31, have been granted conditional bail.
Samuel Corner, 23, was the only one of the six made to remain in custody ahead of the retrial.
Rajwani, Rogers, and Devlin were acquitted of violent disorder at the trial.
But the jury could not decide on criminal damage charges against all defendants, as well as allegations of violent disorder against Head, Corner, and Kamio.
Corner was further accused of causing grievous bodily harm with intent but the jury was also unable to reach a verdict on that charge.
The retrial will be held in relation to all charges against them that did not end in verdicts.
Following the trial of the six, aggravated burglary charges against the 18 other defendants were dropped.
The decision was made after the prosecution "reconsidered the sufficiency of the evidence".
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