Filton 6 declare victory as Prosecution defence of Israeli genocide fails to return a single conviction at trial

• The first 6 activists of the Filton 24, with the rest still being held on remand, were tried in relation to an action at Elbit Systems’ Research & Development facility in Filton, Bristol, in August 2024.
• Elbit Systems is Israel’s largest weapons manufacturer and a key supplier to the Israeli military.
• The action sought to disrupt and expose Elbit’s role in producing weapons used against Palestinians, including drone technology.
• The defendants were held on remand for up to 17 months prior to trial.
• Their prosecution was repeatedly cited by ministers in support of the proscription of Palestine Action.
• The case raised serious concerns about political interference, and the use of counter-terrorism frameworks against protest.
• On Wednesday, the 4th of February 2026, after 8 full days of deliberation, the defendants were not convicted of a single offence against them - including violent offences. 

The refusal to convict any of the 6 defendants of any charges, including on the most serious of charges, is a powerful affirmation of jury equity and brings to a humiliating end one of the most politically charged trials of this year thus far. [1] The decision made by the jury critically undermines the rationale used to proscribe Palestine Action, and underscores the urgent need for that ban to be lifted. This case was the most significant test of the government’s claim that acts of conscience against arms companies constitute a threat to public safety. An independent jury, guided by conscience and moral clarity, rejected that narrative despite extraordinary political pressure, ministerial intervention, and an environment shaped to shield Israeli state-aligned interests from scrutiny. The verdict echoes a wider public rejection of Zionist impunity, and growing support for direct action against companies complicit in genocide. 

The trial has exposed how pre-trial detention and public spectacle were used to punish the defendants in advance and to deter others from challenging Israel’s largest arms manufacturer. The proscription of Palestine Action must now be lifted, and all those held as a result of this political process in prison should be released immediately.

The trial demonstrated that counter-terrorism and national security frameworks are being used in line with their established purpose: to silence dissent and shield state complicity in crimes from accountability. Context was excluded, and scrutiny of Elbit systems - Israel’s largest weapons manufacturer - supplying an ongoing genocide was treated as a matter to be suppressed rather than examined.

Naila Ahmed, Head of Campaigns at CAGE, said:

“This is a huge victory for the movement but nationally and abroad who campaigned on behalf of the defendants, and a powerful affirmation of jury independence and moral courage in the face of extraordinary political pressure.  Though they cannot get back the 17 months of their life taken from them unlawfully, they should all be compensated and the remaining 18 defendants of the Filton 24 should also be released on bail. This case was used to justify the ban against Palestine Action, a decision that should now be overturned.

CAGE calls for full compensation for those acquitted, a lifting of the ban on Palestine Action, an independent review into the political handling of the case, and the abolition of terror laws. The acquittal should prompt serious reflection on how easily due process can be eroded when political interests are at stake.

1. Press Release published by the Filton 24 families and supporters