Photo by Benjamin Cremel / Alamy
Documents received under the Freedom of Information Act show political interference in the Filton 25 case, called Operation Recomply by Counter Terrorism Police. Several government ministers, including Kier Starmer and Yvette Cooper, have made a number of public statements misrepresenting the facts of the case. Throughout the media there have been countless references to the Filton25 as if they are already guilty. These claims, made public by ministers, are thoroughly in contempt of court and have prejudiced the case. This was done in order to proscribe Palestine Action as a terrorist organisation, crush pro-Palestine direct action protest in the UK, and protect the governments working relationship with Elbit Systems, Israel’s largest weapons manufacturer.
02. 2020. Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab meets with Israel’s Minister of Strategic Affairs Orit Farkash-Hacohen and discuss Palestine Action. Dominic Raab assures the Israeli officials that the UK is committed to stopping incidents of direct action.
03. 2022. Then-Home Secretary Priti Patel meets with Elbit Systems to “discuss protests and security”. One of the meeting objectives is to “Reassure Martin Fausset [Elbit Systems UK CEO] that the criminal protest acts against Elbit Systems UK are taken seriously by the Government.” The outline continues with two “key points to raise: Palestine Action’s criminal activity is for the police to investigate and though they are operationally independent of Government meaning we cannot direct their response, my officials have been in contact with the police about PA. The Government is working, where appropriate, to ensure that those who engage in criminal activity progress through the Criminal Justice System.”
05. 2022. Meeting between Attorney General’s Office Director Douglas Wilson and the Israeli Embassy takes place. In this meeting, the discussion covers the Police Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill 2021 and most specifically, which department of the UK state has the power to intervene in the active cases related to Palestine Action. In a follow-up e-mail to the Israeli Embassy, Wilson writes: “The Law Officers are unable to intervene on an individual case or comment on issues related to active proceedings other than in a small subsection of cases where they have a role defined in legislation. We have confirmed that the Home Office is already aware of the matter in question, but we are flagging our discussion to colleagues there to make them aware of your representations and the gravity of the situation.”
19. 04. 2023. Policing Minister Chris Philp, Chief Constable Chris Noble of Staffordshire Police, Kelby Halmes, Doug Wilson – Director of the Attorney General’s Office, Representative/s of National Police Coordination Centre, and Representative/s of the Home Office meet with two representatives of Elbit Systems and Representative/s of Thales (French weapons manufacturer, an Elbit partner). The listed objective of the meeting is to “Reassure Elbit Systems UK and the wider sector affected by Palestine Action that the Government cares about the harm the group are causing the private sector”. Documentation also states that: “Although there have been successful prosecutions of Palestine Action members, there have been multiple instances of charges being dropped and defendants acquitted by juries and magistrates… A Director from the Attorney General’s Office will be attending to represent the CPS. The CPS declined to participate in this meeting to preserve their operational independence…” and “Palestine Action does not meet the threshold for proscription as they do not commit, participate in, prepare for, promote, encourage, or otherwise be concerned with acts of terrorism.” suggesting that private sector parties are already pushing for proscription.
28. 04.2023 Policing Minister Chris Philp meets with Leicestershire Police and the Home Office. A police report seen by Declassified provides key details of what is discussed. “17:00 Brief Policing Minister and Home Office Team”, the file notes. “Real push to support company legitimate business. Suggest proactive work with Meta Facebook and Instagram”. The document continues: “Pushes for remand of those arrested and supports proactive action, show of police and clear[ly] expects us to be taking action against those that commit crime. Focus not on peaceful protestors and facilitating that but on the company”. In other words, the Home Office is apparently instructing the police to prioritise the company and remand activists rather than facilitate freedom of assembly and expression, liberties enshrined in the Human Rights Act.
https://www.declassifieduk.org/labour-held-secret-meeting-with-top-israeli-arms-firm/
15.07.2023 A meeting between Lord Dominic Johnson and Elbit Systems was held “To discuss Elbit Systems business plans in the UK.” The document also states: “I would like to welcome the growth of Elbit here in the UK and congratulate you especially on your new facility you have just opened in Bristol yesterday (13 July). Please tell me about your UK growth strategy and what I can do to help?.” The new facility mentioned is the Filton site. The document continues with “UK and Israeli Foreign Minister signed an agreement, 2030 Roadmap for UK-Israeli Bilateral Relations, on 21 March boosting economic, security and technology ties. This builds on the MOU signed in November 2021.”
21.05.24 In February 2021, Lord Walney (formerly John Woodcock MP) was appointed by the Home Secretary in conjunction with the PM’s office to lead a review as Independent Advisor on Political Violence and Disruption. In 2018 he resigned from the Labour Party amid allegations of sexual misconduct which have still not been investigated. He is also a paid chair of the Purpose Defence Coalition, members of which include Leonardo, one of the world’s largest arms manufacturers, with “extensive links” to Israel’s military and which PA activists had targeted before. His report was delivered on 21.05.24 – link here. Although his report is scathing in its criticism of PA, his recommendation to the Home Office is that: “… the group is theoretically eligible for proscription… the Government should keep under review the question of whether Palestine Action meets the criteria for proscription as a terrorist entity… The bar for proscription… is rightly very high and I do not believe that the activities of Palestine Action currently meet it.” On 14.02.25 Lord Walney was sacked and his role as ‘Independent Adviser on Political Violence and Disruption’ was axed.
06.08.2024 Action at Elbit Systems, Filton in Bristol disrupts Zionist war machine, destroying 40 drones in 20 minutes.
18.08.24 Article in Jerusalem Post by Michael Starr entitled ‘UK must designate Palestine Action as a terrorist organisation to curb violence’. “Classifying the offences of the August 6 attackers as having a ‘terrorist connection’ to foster harsher sentencing and potentially label them as terrorists if convicted is a first step to addressing the violence of Palestine Action. However, only by proscribing the organisation as a terrorist group will Palestine Action be fully deterred. This will allow the law to discourage it by indicting the organisation with severe charges or by putting its members behind bars, where they will no longer be a threat to society.”
https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-815223
28.08.24 Meeting between Doug Wilson (Attorney General’s Office), Nicky Smith (AGO Head of International Law and National Security) and Israeli Embassy [All topics REDACTED save for discussions re progress needed re export license criteria (ICRC access & detainees, humanitarian aid & conduct of hostilities)]
09.09.2024 Email from Nicky Smith (AGO Head of International Law and National Security) to the Israeli embassy entitled “Contacts CPS/SO15”. SO15 are counter terrorism command. Why are the contacts of British police and the Crown Prosecution Service, which is meant to be independent, being handed out to a foreign state (namely the Israeli embassy)?
07.11.2024 Home Office sources brief the Jerusalem Post that the Home Office is considering banning Palestine Action
https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/article-827997
12.2024 Three Home Office officials have a meeting with 3 Elbit Systems representatives
https://www.declassifieduk.org/labour-held-secret-meeting-with-top-israeli-arms-firm
01.2025 Justice Jeremy Johnson takes over the case. He has represented the government, the Ministry of Defence, MI5, various police forces including at the Hillsborough case, and has been cleared by the UK authorities to access top secret information.
27.03.2025 Justice Jeremy Johnson makes a ruling that should the first six defendants be convicted of criminal damage he can apply a terrorist connection to the sentences, significantly increasing their time in custody. The jury are not to know and a press embargo is applied to the ruling.
07.03.2025 Proscription Assessment of Palestine Action by the Government’s Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre (“JTAC”). It is clear from this report that the prosecution’s successful application for a terrorist connection in the first Filton case is a key factor in JTAC’s assessment that PA commits or participates in acts of terrorism, despite no one in the Filton case even having a trial yet.
30.06.2025 The proscription of Palestine Action is passed into law. Former Home Secretary Yvette Cooper writes an Explanatory Memorandum (“EM”) about the proscription of Palestine Action. In this EM she states “The UK Government assesses that PA commits and participates in acts of terrorism. In several attacks, PA has committed acts of serious damage to property with the aim of progressing its political cause and influencing the Government. These include attacks at Thales in Glasgow in 2022, and in 2024 at Instro Precision in Kent and Elbit Systems UK in Bristol.” Therefore Yvette Cooper accuses the Filton 24 of being terrorists when the defendants were, and still are, awaiting trial, which is contempt of court and an attempt to prejudice the public.
https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukdsi/2025/9780348273373/pdfs/ukdsiem_9780348273373_en_001.pdf
08.2025 Former Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, along with other members of the Labour Party, are repeatedly reported to have said that the public did not know “the full nature” of Palestine Action that led to its prescription as a terrorist organisation, thus implying the existence of secret material further implicating the group in terrorism. This was reported across various media outlets, culminating in a lengthy article Yvette Cooper herself writes in the Observer 17th August 2025. It contains the following passages. “Some may think it is just a regular protest group known for occasional stunts. But that is not the extent of its past activities. Nor does it reflect disturbing information given to me that covered ideas and planning for future attacks. Many of those important details cannot yet be publicly reported because of criminal proceedings…..Charges that include, in the assessment of the CPS, a terrorism connection.” This is in direct violation of the press embargo, a contempt of court, and the article is still available today to read online for free. These quotes were then repeated multiple times on the BBC.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cj0yyvj7jmmo
24.11.2025 The first six actionists arrested for the Filton action begin their trial from prison.
08.02.2026 After an arduous two month trial the jury finds the defendants not guilty of aggravated burglary and half of the defendants not guilty of violent disorder. The jury refuse to convict on any of the remaining charges. Five of the defendants are released on bail. Two weeks later everyone except Sam Corner also are granted bail after up to 18 month in prison without trial.
13.02.2026 The High Court rules that the proscription of Palestine Action as a terrorist organisation is unlawful. The Court upheld the challenge that the Home Secretary failed to comply with her own policy when making the decision and that proscription breached the rights of Freedom of Expression and Assembly as protected under Articles 10 and 11 of the European Convention on Human Rights.
13.04.2026 The retrial of Trial 1 begins. The three remaining violent disorder charges are dropped. The judge orders that the six cannot say why they took the action in order to stitch up the defendants and ensure a conviction.
05.05.2026 Four out of the six actionists in Trial 1 are convicted of criminal damage.
10.05.2026 Lady Chief Justice Baroness Carr promotes (In)Justice Johnson to Deputy Senior Presiding Judge in the Appeals Court.
12.06.2026 The Filton 4 are sentenced as terrorists with draconian custodial sentences by (In) Justice Jeremy Johnson.
15.06.2026 The proscription of Palestine Action is upheld by the Appeal Court by Lady Justice Barr, Justice Jeremy Johnson’s new boss. On the same day Trial 2 begins at the Old Bailey. After two months it ends with the jury refusing to convict any of the defendants present..
To be continued…
Further Reading:
UN report on the use of Terror Laws in relation to the Filton18 21st November 2024
Written by the United Nation Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism
This content is not an expression of support, nor does it invite support, for a proscribed organisation.