Palestine Action four appeal 'terrorist connection' sentences over Elbit drone attack

Four activists jailed for damaging drones at Elbit Systems' Bristol factory are appealing a judge's ruling that their offending had a "terrorist connection".

Palestine Action activists challenge 'terrorist connection' ruling in Bristol drone factory case

Four Palestine Action members sentenced in June for smashing drones and equipment at Israeli arms manufacturer Elbit Systems' factory in Filton, Bristol, have launched an appeal that their barrister describes as being of "fundamental constitutional importance", The Guardian UK reports.

Charlotte Head, 30, Leona Kamio, 31, Fatema Rajwani, 22, and Samuel Corner, 24, were convicted of property damage relating to a 2024 raid on the facility. Mr Justice Johnson subsequently ruled their offending had a "terrorist connection" — a finding that triggered substantially heavier sentences despite the charges themselves being non-terrorism offences, committed before Palestine Action was added to the list of proscribed organisations.

Simon Natas, of ITN Solicitors, who is representing the four, argued that the legal threshold for what constitutes "serious" property damage capable of amounting to terrorism had never been clearly defined. He contended that parliament's original intent, as set out by then-Home Secretary Jack Straw when the Terrorism Act was presented, set a high bar.

"When he presented the act to parliament he said that terrorism was, or involved, the use of serious violence," Natas said. "So it had to be designed to create a climate of extreme fear and undermine the foundations of government. So, really, what we say is the government set the bar for what terrorism is very, very high."

Natas argued that bar had not been met in this case. There had been no intention to influence the government or intimidate the public, he said, "because the intention here was simply to damage weapons to prevent them being sent to Israel … and used by the Israeli military".

The terrorist connection finding has significant practical consequences for the four beyond sentence length. They must serve at least two-thirds of their tariff in custody — considerably longer than the standard proportion — and are required to renounce their political views in order to be considered for parole. Upon release, they will be subject to terrorist notification requirements for 15 years, obliging them to inform police of any new devices, relationships, bank accounts or addresses.

Corner was additionally convicted of grievous bodily harm without intent for striking Sergeant Kate Evans with a sledgehammer during the incident; no terrorist connection was applied to that separate offence.

A press conference held on Thursday heard that Johnson's terrorist connection ruling had directly resulted in the heavier sentences imposed on all four. Civil liberties organisations including Liberty and Amnesty International have previously criticised the judge's decision.

Kamio's mother, Emma, told the press conference that 40 quadcopter drones described as "killer drones" had been destroyed during the action, and that the activists had been attempting to save Palestinian children's lives. She warned that a failed appeal could open "the floodgates" to further terrorist connection findings in similar property damage cases.

In a statement issued from prison, Head said: "Our case has been politically manipulated to justify the proscription of Palestine Action."

Leading human rights lawyer Michael Mansfield KC issued a statement backing the appeal, arguing that the integrity and fairness of jury trial had been undermined by the judge's post-conviction recategorisation. "In effect, the judge can recategorise and upgrade an offence post-conviction," Mansfield said.

A single judge will now determine whether to grant the four prisoners leave to appeal.

Source: The Guardian UK