Twelve Palestine Action activists released on bail after arrest

Twelve Activists Linked to Palestine Action Group Released on Bail

A group of 12 activists, including four hunger strikers, have been released on bail at London’s Central Criminal Court. The defendants, who were charged with breaking into an Israel-linked defence firm in Bristol, had been held on remand since August 6, 2024.

The court heard that the group, known as Filton 24, was involved in a raid on the Elbit Systems factory in Filton, near Bristol. Twelve of the defendants, including Teuta Hoxha, Kamran Ahmed, Qesser Zuhrah, and Heba Muraisi, were released on bail on Friday.

Eleven other defendants had been granted bail earlier, bringing the total number of those released to 23 out of the original group of 24. In February, six activists were acquitted of aggravated burglary charges at London’s Woolwich Crown Court, while 18 others had their charges dropped and granted bail.

The remaining defendant, Samuel Corner, remains on remand after failing to apply for bail. The Filton 24 Defence Committee has called for his release, citing that he has already spent over 18 months in prison with no convictions.

A recent High Court ruling found the government’s ban on Palestine Action as a “terror group” to be unlawful and disproportionate. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood stated that she was “disappointed” by the judgement and intends to appeal it in the Court of Appeal.

Source: Al Jazeera