Jury discharged in Palestine Action Elbit raid trial
A jury has been discharged in the trial of eight Palestine Action activists accused of organizing a raid on an Elbit Systems factory in the UK. The defendants faced charges of criminal damage and violent disorder, and a hearing is scheduled for September to determine if a retrial will occur.
Why it matters
The case highlights ongoing legal and political tensions surrounding protests against defense contractors linked to the Israel-Gaza conflict.
Image source, Getty Images Image caption, The Elbit Systems UK factory in Filton, near Bristol, was raided on 6 August 2024
A jury has been discharged in the trial of eight Palestine Action activists who were accused of helping to organise a raid on the UK site of an Israel-based defence firm.
Ian Sanders, Aleksandra Herbich, Teuta Hoxha, Sean Middleborough , Julija Brigadirova, Hannah Davidson, Madeleine Norman and William Plastow were charged with criminal damage after a raid on Elbit Systems in Filton, near Bristol, in August 2024.
They were all also charged with violent disorder, although Plastow was previously found not guilty of this offence .
The group denied any wrongdoing and have been on trial at the Old Bailey since 22 June. Judge Patrick Field discharged the jury earlier after 37 hours of deliberations.
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