A jury has refused to convict seven Palestine Action activists in connection with a raid on an Israeli arms factory in South Gloucestershire.

The defendants were members of the Filton 25 who faced charges of criminal damage and violent disorder over the infiltration of Elbit Systems in Filton, near Bristol, in August 2024.

Jurors deliberated for more than 37 hours but were unable to reach verdicts for seven of the eight defendants: Madeleine Norman, Hannah Davidson, Teuta Hoxha, Ola Aleksandra Herbich, Ian Sanders, William Plastow and Yulia Brigadirova. They may now face a retrial.

The eighth defendant, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was found guilty of criminal damage.

During the case, which opened at the Old Bailey on 22 June, Plastow was cleared of violent disorder after the judge concluded that the prosecution had not produced enough evidence.

None of the eight defendants were on the premises of the Elbit factory at the time of the break-in. Police produced so little evidence against Brigadirova that her barrister told the court “she should be called the invisible coordinator,” reported Declassified UK.

Six of the Filton 25 activists were cleared of aggravated burglary charges in February following a trial at Woolwich Crown Court. Following that trial, aggravated burglary charges against 18 other defendants were dropped.

Elbit Systems is Israel’s largest weapons firm. It produces 85% of the military drone fleet used to massacre Palestinians in Gaza.

In response to the verdicts, the Filton 25 Defence Committee said the charges were an attempt by the state “to justify their disproportionate proscription of the group.”

The committee stated: “Today’s verdict comes after each of the defendants already spent up to 18 months in prison without convictions. They were all held on remand as ‘terrorist prisoners’ for well beyond the pre-trial custody time limit of six months.”

An additional trial would be “a huge waste of resources” and “a cynical attempt to manipulate the court process in order to convict the defendants”, it added.

“Each one of those drones could have massacred hundreds of Palestinians. Yet for destroying them and undoubtedly saving lives, four Palestine Action activists were sentenced as terrorists, despite only being convicted of criminal damage.”

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