Jury discharged in Palestine Action Elbit raid trial

A jury in the Old Bailey has been discharged after reaching a single guilty verdict in the trial of eight Palestine Action activists accused of aiding a raid on Elbit Systems Ltd's UK factory in Filton. The jury spent over 37 hours deliberating evidence but failed to reach verdicts on 14 of the 15 charges related to the August 2024 raid at the factory.

One guilty verdict for criminal damage was passed on Tuesday for a defendant whose identity cannot be disclosed for legal reasons. Prosecutors may seek a retrial for the remaining charges, though any trial could be a year away due to court backlogs. The Palestine Action members broke into the Elbit factory on August 6, 2024, and destroyed equipment, including drones, which they believed were destined for use by the Israeli Defence Forces in Gaza.

Elbit Systems has contracts with the British military and other NATO members and denies claims that its Bristol factory supplies Israeli forces. The eight defendants, who must now await a potential retrial, are Aleksandra Herbich, Teuta Hoxha, Julija Brigadirova, and three others whose names are not provided. The trial opened on June 22, and all eight defendants initially denied charges of criminal damage and violent disorder.

Some defendants were cleared of violent disorder, but the court heard that none of the defendants were present at Elbit during the raid but were alleged to have helped plan the break-in. Four others have already been convicted and jailed for their roles in the incident. A hearing to determine if a retrial is necessary will take place on September 14.