Key facts
- A court heard that a Palestine Action defendant, Julija Brigadirova, was in emotional turmoil and may not have contributed to planning an Elbit Systems factory raid.
- Five Palestine Action defendants convicted of criminal damage to a Barclays branch will have a hearing to determine if they will be sentenced as terrorists.
- The defendants caused £212,000 in damage to a Barclays branch in Burnley in August 2024.
- Judge Robert Altham will decide on August 21 whether to apply a terror designation to the sentencing.
- Brigadirova's defense argued that her emotional distress, including a suicide attempt, prevented her from meaningfully contributing to the raid's planning.
- The prosecution presented messages suggesting Brigadirova's awareness of and potential travel to the raid location.
A court heard that a defendant in a Palestine Action trial, Julija Brigadirova, was experiencing severe emotional turmoil, including a suicide attempt, at the time she allegedly helped plan a raid on an Elbit Systems plant. Her defense lawyer argued that this distress meant she "may not have been in a place to usefully contribute" to the planning.
Brigadirova and six co-defendants face charges of violent disorder and criminal damage in connection with a break-in at the Elbit Systems plant in August 2024. Another defendant, William Plastow, was acquitted of violent disorder but still faces criminal damage charges. The defendants deny the charges and are not alleged to have entered the factory premises.
Separately, five Palestine Action defendants convicted of criminal damage to a Barclays branch in Burnley in August 2024 are awaiting a hearing on August 21. Judge Robert Altham will decide whether their offenses carry a 'terrorist connection,' which could lead to a terror sentencing. This follows a ruling by presiding Judge Phillip Parry, who had considered applying the terror designation despite jurors not being informed of this possibility during the trial.
The Barclays action occurred prior to the proscription of Palestine Action and is not listed among the three incidents the government classified as terrorism. Critics, including anti-fracking activist Simon Roscoe Blevins and Palestine Action co-founder Huda Ammori, have expressed concern over Judge Altham's involvement, citing a past instance where he issued 'manifestly excessive' sentences to anti-fracking activists.