Public figures warn against ‘unjust’ terror sentences
JVL Introduction
Four young activists who have already been subjected to up to 18 months jail time on remand for their actions against Israeli arms manufacturer Elbit Systems, are due to be sentenced at Woolwich Crown Court in London on Friday June 12.
In the following press release from Artists for Palestine UK, 100 public figures express alarm at the prospect of the activists receiving harsher sentences than the jury could have anticipated by categorising their actions as terrorism.
The judge in the case, Mr Justice Jeremy Johnson, is the subject of a formal complaint filed by campaign group Defend Our Juries (DOJ) to the Judicial Conduct Investigations Office, alleging biased and discriminatory conduct.
Protest at the court on Friday.
This article was originally published by Artists for Palestine UK on Tue 9 Jun 2026. Read the original here.
Public figures warn against ‘unjust’ terror sentences for Israeli arms site action
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Frightening! The fact you can have ‘show trial’ where full disclosure and. evidence is not allowed. Where the jury were kept in the dark and not aware that their verdict would ultimately lead to them being convicted as terrorists.
The Ulm 5 in Germany have systematic failings too.
This is not truth nor justice. This is a dictator state insidiously using and weaponising terrorism to severe the voices of protestors. The UK supports and arms Israel whilst speaking out of its rear about a Palestinian statehood. Their sheer ignorance of it! They talk about Iran’s treatment of its people yet don’t look at their own treatment of UK citizens.
But then the UK have never had a good track record..The Man Mau uprising, Operation Demetrius etc..
I guess they will have to build more prisons because the voice of resistance across the world is a strong unbreakable bond of comrades against injustices by the state. Protests enables changes and forces the monster to look in the mirror or the abyss!
Tupac once said – ‘they got money for wars but can’t feed the poor’.
Viva La Revolucion! Solidarity!
I support this petition..
Glenn Bowman
Emeritus Professor of Anthropology
University of Kent
Canterbury
[email protected]
“…..pour encourager les autres! (Voltaire on Admiral Byng and England)
“… but WAS NOT TOLD they risked extended prison sentences under terror provisions despite NOT BEING CHARGED with such offences.”
witnesses/defendants have to swear on oath to “tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth”
does the same duty of candour and transparency not apply with equal force to the courts, the judiciary? were the defence counsel not apprised of what the prosecution intended to do?
As a non-lawyer, I believe there were so many serious flaws in this case (by the prejudicial statements of a minister; by the police gathering evidence; by the CPS failing to produce relevant Elbit witnesses; and by the judge overseeing the trial) that the current “guilty” verdicts will be declared invalid and shameful … hopefully very soon.
The “Filton 6 ” trials remind me (in their injustice and misdirection) of the Hilsborough football stadium disaster. The fans were eventually exonerated of all blame and the guilt for the crush deaths correctly assigned to the South Yorks Police Force and the stadium management. Six individuals then faced trials for manslaughter etc.
I hope to see similar reappraisal of who’s guilty and who’s innocent after the appeals and reviews of the “Filton 6” case. Already the leading barrister for the defence has won his alleged “contempt of court” case against the judge.
In the meantime, we must all hope the extreme injustices already suffered by the “Filton 6” aren’t added to on Friday.
I absolutely agree with every statement in this petition. I will also add to the formal complaint against Justice Johnson for illegally misguiding the jury by interfering with the jury’s right to form its own judgement .
I never expected to witness Roland Freisler style trials in the UK. How my father would spin in his grave.