23 Palestine Action Activists In The UK Have Now Been Released After Over A Year In Jail Without Trial
This means 23 out of the 24 activists are now out of prison, with only Corner remaining in prison, facing an additional charge.
23 Palestine Action activists from the "Filton 24" group have been released on bail after being held for between 14 and 18 months in prison without trial following their breaking to an Israeli defense firm’s site in the UK.
Palestine Action is a pro-Palestine group founded in 2020 that uses non-violent direct action to disrupt the arms industry in the UK, which supplies the Israeli army with weapons used in its genocide in Gaza.
The group most frequently targets British factories linked to Israeli weapons manufacturer Elbit Systems.
24 Palestine Action activists, known as the "Filton 24," broke into Elbit Systems' Filton facility in August 2024.
Six activists had been arrested at the scene at the Filton facility at the time, while the remaining members of the Filton 24 were later detained in separate police raids.
The 24 activists were accused of aggravated burglary, trespassing, violent disorder and causing over US$1 million in damage.
Aggravated burglary in the UK is punishable with up to 13 years in prison and could carry a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
Since their arrest in 2024, the activists were left in custody awaiting trial far beyond the UK’s six-month pre-trial detention limit.
On Feb. 4, a jury at Woolwich Crown Court in London cleared the six activists first arrested of aggravated burglary.
Five of the six activists — Charlotte Head, Leona Kamio, Fatema Rajwani, Zoe Rogers and Jordan Devlin — were released on bail, except Samuel Corner, who is facing another charge of causing grievous bodily harm with intent for allegedly hitting a woman police officer.
On Wednesday, Feb. 18, the court dropped aggravated burglary charges against the remaining 18 members, with some of them released on bail on the same day.
On Friday, Feb. 20, the last 12 activists — Zara Farooque, Salaam Mahmood, Moiz Ibrahim, Finn Collins, Hannah Davidson, Harland (Harley) Archer, Louie Adams and Liam Mullany and hunger strikers Teuta Hoxha, Kamran Ahmed, Qesser Zuhrah and Heba Muraisi — were granted bail.
This means 23 out of the 24 activists are now out of prison, with only Corner remaining in prison, facing an additional charge.
He is expected to apply for bail again.
Cherry Mohamed
Flavie Chen
Flavie Chen
