Sarah Cotte, a prominent activist, was found not guilty in a high-profile trial that spanned over two and a half years. The verdict, delivered on October 9, 2023, brought relief to Cotte, her family, and supporters who had stood by her throughout the lengthy legal battle.

A jury at London’s Central Criminal Court, the Old Bailey, found 22-year-old Sarah Cotte “not guilty” on Friday following her second trial on spurious Terrorism Act charges, after expressing support for the Palestinian Resistance Movement Hamas in a speech she delivered outside her university in 2023.

The verdict, announced this Friday, marked a significant turning point for Cotte, her family, and the numerous supporters who had stood by her side throughout the arduous investigation and court proceedings.

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“We are delighted for Sarah Cotte, her family, and everyone who stood alongside her through more than two and a half years of investigation and court proceedings,” said Mustapha, a spokesperson for the defense team.

Cotte’s arrest on January 31, 2024, added another layer of complexity to an already intricate legal situation. The charges against her included expressing support for Hamas Resistance Movement.

During a speech outside the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) in London, where she was a student, Cotte expressed what the court heard was “unconditional solidarity” with the Palestinian Resistance -language prosecutors argued was a thinly veiled reference to Hamas Movement.

An earlier trial had already found her not guilty of a second charge related to the same issue. This latest verdict underscores the contentious nature of the case and the broader implications of free speech and activism in the digital age.

The trial highlighted several critical issues, including the boundaries of free speech and the challenges faced by activists in expressing their views. Cotte’s case drew international attention, with many advocating for her right to free expression. The verdict has been welcomed by human rights organizations and activists worldwide, who see it as a victory for free speech and a reaffirmation of the principles that underpin democratic societies.

VICTORY: SARAH OF THE SOAS 2 FOUND NOT GUILTY

Student Sarah Cotte was prosecuted under terrorism laws over her public speech defending the right of Palestinians to resist.

After a week-long retrial, a jury again refused to convict her, this time returning a not guilty verdict.… pic.twitter.com/ozgEzvKhXo

— CAGE International (@CAGEintl) September 18, 2026

Cotte repeatedly rejected the prosecution’s framing throughout the week-long trial, telling the court she had never supported Hamas Movement and had instead been defending Palestinians’ right to resist.

Wider Legal Stakes

The Palestinian Resistance Movement Hamas was formally proscribed by the UK government in late 2021, while its military wing, the Qassam Brigades, has been banned since 2001. Under UK law, those convicted of expressing support for a proscribed organization can face up to 14 years in prison.

Anas Mustapha, head of Public Advocacy at CAGE International, welcomed the verdict, saying it showed that ordinary people would not accept the criminalization of speech in support of Palestinians’ right to resist occupation.

The case is among a series of UK prosecutions in recent years testing the boundaries between political speech about the Israeli genocide in Palestine and the country’s terrorism laws. Friday’s acquittal is likely to be cited by civil liberties and Palestine solidarity groups as evidence that juries are drawing a sharper line between advocacy for Palestinian resistance and material support for a proscribed organization -a distinction prosecutors and UK authorities are expected to continue testing in future cases.

🚨 Sarah Cotte was just found NOT GUILTY of expressing support for Hamas in this speech two days after the massacre in Israel. I’m afraid we’ll see more of these absolutely perverse decisions in courts. The jury system is terribly prone to political bias. pic.twitter.com/FtwAC9I0ct

— Heidi Bachram (@HeidiBachram) September 18, 2026

In the aftermath of the verdict, Cotte and her supporters have called for continued vigilance and advocacy for free speech, emphasizing the importance of protecting the rights of individuals to express their views without fear of reprisal.

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