In a significant development in the high-profile case against Palestine Action activists, twelve defendants allegedly involved in the August 2024 raid on an Israeli-owned arms factory have been granted bail following a Friday hearing. The individuals—Teuta Hoxha, Kamran Ahmed, Zara Farooque, Heba Muraisi, Qesser Zuhrah, Salaam Mahmood, Moiz Ibrahim, Finn Collins, Hannah Davidson, Harland Archer, Louie Adams and Liam Mullany—had been held on remand for their purported involvement in breaching Elbit Systems, Israel’s largest weapons supplier.
This judicial decision comes shortly after the Crown Prosecution Service’s Wednesday announcement dismissing aggravated burglary charges against all remaining 18 defendants—a charge carrying potential life sentences. While these serious charges have been dropped, the defendants continue to face other legal consequences related to the alleged facility breach.
The case has witnessed dramatic twists throughout its months-long proceedings. On February 4th, six defendants were acquitted of aggravated burglary charges, while bail was granted to five others earlier this week. The prosecution had contended that activists entered the factory armed with sledgehammers intending to injure security personnel, while defense lawyers maintained the tools were solely for property damage purposes.
The trial revealed contentious elements including hung juries on various counts of criminal damage and violent disorder. Notably, defendant Samuel Corner faces additional allegations of causing grievous bodily harm for allegedly striking a police officer with a sledgehammer—the only defendant remaining in custody after Friday’s decisions.
Many defendants have endured approximately 18 months in remand, exceeding standard UK pre-trial custody limits. This prolonged detention sparked a hunger strike in October 2025 involving four activists, which continued for up to 73 days and resulted in multiple hospitalizations. The prisoners ended their protest on January 14th when the UK government declined to award a multibillion-pound contract to Elbit Systems’ UK subsidiary.
The activist group supporting the defendants celebrated the developments as a ‘monumental victory,’ stating the defendants would ‘walk out today with their heads held high’ despite state efforts to break them. A retrial for six defendants on unresolved charges is scheduled for February 2027.