Arabic version: إطلاق سراح اثني عشر ناشطًا من حركة فلسطين بكفالة من سجن بريطاني
Twelve activists linked to the Palestine Action group have been granted bail after being charged with breaking into a British site linked to an Israel-linked defence firm. Their release was celebrated at London’s Central Criminal Court, known as the Old Bailey, where emotional scenes unfolded as the activists were freed.
Among those released were hunger strikers Teuta Hoxha, Kamran Ahmed, Qesser Zuhrah, and Heba Muraisi. The group, which also included Zara Farooque, Salaam Mahmood, Moiz Ibrahim, Finn Collins, Hannah Davidson, Harland ‘Harley’ Archer, Louie Adams, and Liam Mullany, had been held in connection with a raid on the Elbit Systems factory in Filton, near Bristol, that took place on August 6, 2024. According to Al Jazeera, the release is seen as a significant victory by supporters.
The release of these twelve activists follows the earlier granting of bail to eleven others charged in relation to the same raid, resulting in 23 out of the so-called “Filton 24” now out of prison. On February 4, six activists were acquitted of aggravated burglary charges, which represented the most serious charges against them. The jury was unable to reach a verdict on charges of criminal damage.
Additionally, the Woolwich Crown Court dropped aggravated burglary charges against the remaining eighteen members of the Filton 24, allowing five more defendants to be granted bail. Only Samuel Corner, who faced an additional charge of allegedly hitting a female police sergeant with a sledgehammer, remains in custody.
The Filton 24 Defence Committee has called for Corner’s release, arguing that it is unjust for him to remain incarcerated without convictions after spending over 18 months in prison. The activists’ release comes in the wake of a British High Court ruling that deemed the government’s designation of Palestine Action as a “terror group” to be unlawful and disproportionate. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood expressed her disappointment and indicated plans to appeal the ruling.
