A UK court has acquitted all defendants in the Filton24 case of aggravated burglary at an Israeli arms company, after prosecutors said they could offer no evidence to support the charge.
The Crown Prosecution Service confirmed at a hearing at Woolwich Crown Court that it was unable to proceed against those who had yet to go on trial, according to the Filton24 Defence Committee.
The defendants, linked to the campaign group Palestine Action, were accused of taking part in a break-in at a UK branch of Elbit Systems in Bristol.
Case Background
Five of those granted bail, who had been on remand for 14-18 months, will be released, apart from one person who will have to be granted bail for another case she is charged with first.
The decision comes after the first six on trial from the Filton24 were all acquitted of aggravated burglary, which carried a maximum sentence of life in prison, according to the Filton24 Defence Committee.
Reaction
A spokesperson for the Filton24 Defence Committee described the development as a “significant victory”, saying the charge was used to repress the defendants and justify imprisoning them for up to two years before trial.
According to Filton24 Defence, prosecutors said there will be a retrial on charges where no verdicts were reached, and several defendants are expected to apply for bail in the coming weeks.
Context
Elbit Systems is Israel’s largest private arms company and has been the target of several demonstrations amid Israel’s war on Gaza, which has led to repeated protests across the UK.
More than 1,600 arrests of peaceful protesters holding placards were linked to support for Palestine Action in the months after the initial ban, according to reports.
Source: Al Jazeera
