Four imprisoned Palestine Action activists appeal ‘terrorism’ sentences

Supporters of those who participated in a raid on an Israeli weapons maker say the sentences set a dangerous precedent.

People attend a demonstration opposing the government's decision to ban Palestine Action as a 'terror' organisation in London, the United Kingdom, June 15, 2026 [Chris J Ratcliffe/Reuters]

London, the UK – Four Palestine Action activists who were sentenced as “terrorists” are appealing against the ruling.

Charlotte Head, Samuel Corner, Leona Kamio, and Fatema Zainab Rajwani were found guilty of criminal damage “with a terrorist connection” following a raid, which was claimed by Palestine Action, on an Israeli arms factory in August 2024 in Filton, near Bristol.

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The sentencing marked the first categorisation of property damage as “terrorism” in British courts.

Human rights groups condemned the ruling in June.

On Thursday, at a press conference in London organised by supporters of the group, Shahd Hammouri, lecturer in international law and researcher of corporate war profiteering at the University of Kent, said, “Uncontested, this judgement will also mark a flagrant departure from the rule of law in favour of foreign criminal actors and against and in the detriment of UK citizens.

“It will also set out a precedent that may extend to others who are protesting against grave violations of international law.”

At the time of the incident, Palestine Action was not a proscribed organisation.

Sukaina Rajwani, left, and Emma Kamio said their daughters, Fatema Zainab Rajwani and Leona Kamio, felt deeply about the genocide in Gaza being carried out by Israel [Laura O’Connor/Al Jazeera]

Activists Head and Kamio were handed five-year sentences, while Corner, who was also convicted of grievous bodily harm without intent for striking a police officer during the raid, was given seven years and eight months. Rajwani, who at 21 is the youngest of the group, was handed a sentence of four years and eight months.

The appeal argues that the conviction violated Article 7 of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), as Palestine Action was not a proscribed organisation at the time of the offence. It also argues that “the sentences were manifestly excessive” and violated the “principles of natural justice” as well as ECHR’s Article 6, which regards the right to a fair trial.

The mothers of Kamio and Rajwani, visibly emotional when describing prison conditions and futures their children may face, said they were proud of their daughters.

“She may be embroiled in this struggle for her freedom for another 20 years,” said Sukaina Rajwani.

Emma Kamio’s voice broke when stating, “[Leona] will be 50 years old…when she finishes her sentence”, referring to the decades of supervision that would follow time spent in prison.

Elbit Systems, Palestine Action’s main target, describes its drones as the “backbone” of the Israeli army.

The August 2024 Filton raid was carried out at its UK affiliate.

Palestine Action says it is “committed to ending global participation in Israel’s genocidal and apartheid regime”. The group relies on direct action to disrupt flows of arms and military-related goods to Israel, stating that “If one action stops one weapon from killing a Palestinian, then it’s all worth it.”

James Smith, a doctor who returned eight days ago from Gaza, where he was providing urgent medical care, said it was “an honour” to support the activists.

Direct action efforts should be “understood alongside the sheer inability of healthcare workers to respond to the outcomes of these war machines”, he said, referring to Israeli quadcopter drones.

He referenced the shooting of a 10-month-old baby in Gaza by an Israeli quadcopter in April, 2024.

The activists known as the “Filton 24” have said they were targeting quadcopter drones produced by Elbit Systems during their raid.

When speaking of the activists, Smith noted the “first tenet” of medical best practice, saying, “Prevention is better than cure.”

People sentenced as “terrorists” are treated as dangerous and face scrutiny long after they leave prison.

Kamio said her daughter had worked with children at a nursery, facilitating outdoor, nature-based learning. While the nursery spoke highly of her, her mother said she feared that once released, she would not be able to work with children again because of enhanced checks.

In a statement, activists supporting the four said that they “would be subject to notification requirements for 15 years upon release” and that “such requirements include being obliged to notify police of any new device, bank account, address, holiday or relationship”.

In June, the case gained further prominence when Head’s lawyer, Rajiv Menon KC, was accused by Justice Jeremy Johnson of contempt of court by stating that Elbit Systems was “wined and dined in the corridors of power” and reminded jurors of their right to acquit based on conscience.

Menon now faces contempt proceedings; senior lawyers have criticised his prosecution.

“[Judge] Johnson did his worst,” Emma Kamio said of the sentencing.

In June 2025 , the UK banned Palestine Action as “terrorist” organisation, making it a crime to be a member of or to express support for the group. More than 2,700 people have been arrested under the Terrorism Act 2000 for protesting the ban.

The proscription, which came after activists spray-painted a Royal Air Force plane, placed Palestine Action on par with organisations like al-Qaeda, ISIL (ISIS) and extreme far-right groups.

Civil liberty organisations and United Nations experts have slammed the ban as an illiberal overreach.

Charlotte Head, in a letter written from prison, described the sentencing as “politically motivated to justify the proscription of Palestine Action”.

There is no date set for when the appeal will be heard, but lawyer Simon Natas said he hoped it would begin “in the coming months”.

参与突袭以色列武器制造商行动的人员的支持者表示，这些判决开创了一个危险的先例。

2026年6月15日，在英国伦敦，人们参加示威游行，反对政府将巴勒斯坦行动组织列为“恐怖”组织并予以取缔的决定。[克里斯·J·拉特克利夫/路透社]

英国伦敦——四名被判为“恐怖分子”的巴勒斯坦行动组织活动人士正在对判决提出上诉。

夏洛特·海德、塞缪尔·科纳、莱昂娜·卡米奥和法蒂玛·扎伊纳布·拉杰瓦尼被判犯有“与恐怖主义有关的”刑事毁坏罪。此前，巴勒斯坦行动组织声称对 2024 年 8 月发生在布里斯托尔附近菲尔顿的一家以色列武器工厂的袭击负责。

列表 1/4：马克·鲁法洛的言论引发对反犹主义“抹黑运动”的强烈反对

列表 2/4：美国寻求引渡加沙捐助者，其妻子警告称此举将开创“可怕的先例”

巴西活动人士要求突尼斯释放“苏穆德船队”组织者的四项诉求之三

问题 4（共 4 题）：欧盟是否会对以色列采取行动？

该判决标志着英国法院首次将财产损失定性为“恐怖主义”。

人权组织在6月份谴责了这一裁决。

周四，在伦敦举行的一场由该组织支持者组织的新闻发布会上，肯特大学国际法讲师兼企业战争牟利研究员沙赫德·哈穆里表示：“毫无疑问，这一判决也将标志着公然背离法治，有利于外国犯罪分子，不利于英国公民，损害英国公民的利益。”

“这也将开创一个先例，该先例可能会推广到其他抗议严重违反国际法行为的人们。”

事件发生时，“巴勒斯坦行动”并非被取缔的组织。

左图为苏凯娜·拉杰瓦尼 (Sukaina Rajwani)，右图为艾玛·卡米奥 (Emma Kamio)，她们表示，她们的女儿法蒂玛·扎伊纳布·拉杰瓦尼 (Fatema Zainab Rajwani) 和莉奥娜·卡米奥 (Leona Kamio) 对以色列在加沙实施的种族灭绝深感痛心。[劳拉·奥康纳/半岛电视台]

活动人士Head和Kamio被判处五年监禁，而Corner因在突袭行动中袭击一名警官而被判犯有故意严重人身伤害罪，被判处七年零八个月监禁。该团伙中最年轻的成员，21岁的Rajwani被判处四年零八个月监禁。

上诉方认为，该定罪违反了《欧洲人权公约》第七条，因为巴勒斯坦行动组织在犯罪时并非被取缔的组织。上诉方还认为，“判决明显过重”，违反了“自然正义原则”以及《欧洲人权公约》第六条关于获得公正审判的权利。

卡米奥和拉杰瓦尼的母亲在描述监狱状况和孩子们可能面临的未来时，情绪明显激动，她们说为女儿们感到骄傲。

“她可能还要在争取自由的斗争中再奋斗20年，”苏凯娜·拉杰瓦尼说。

艾玛·卡米奥在说道“莉奥娜服刑期满时将年满 50 岁”时，声音哽咽了。她指的是莉奥娜在监狱服刑结束后将接受数十年的监管。

巴勒斯坦行动组织的主要目标是埃尔比特系统公司，该公司称其无人机是以色列军队的“脊梁”。

2024 年 8 月，菲尔顿突袭了其英国子公司。

巴勒斯坦行动组织表示，其“致力于终止全球对以色列种族灭绝和种族隔离政权的参与”。该组织依靠直接行动来阻断武器和军事相关物资流向以色列，并声称“如果一次行动能阻止一件武器夺走一个巴勒斯坦人的生命，那么一切努力都是值得的”。

詹姆斯·史密斯是一名医生，他八天前从加沙返回，在那里他提供了紧急医疗服务。他说，能够支持这些活动人士是他的“荣幸”。

他表示，应该“将直接行动的努力与医护人员根本无力应对这些战争机器造成的后果联系起来理解”，他指的是以色列的四旋翼无人机。

他提到了2024年4月以色列四轴飞行器在加沙射杀一名10个月大的婴儿的事件。

被称为“菲尔顿24人”的活动人士表示，他们在突袭行动中的目标是埃尔比特系统公司生产的四旋翼无人机。

在谈到这些活动家时，史密斯指出了医疗最佳实践的“第一原则”，他说：“预防胜于治疗”。

被判为“恐怖分子”的人会被视为危险人物，即使出狱后也会长期受到审查。

卡米奥说，她的女儿曾在一家托儿所工作，负责组织户外自然教育活动。虽然托儿所对她女儿评价很高，但她母亲担心，女儿出狱后，由于审查力度加大，可能无法再从事与儿童相关的工作。

支持这四人的维权人士在一份声明中表示，他们“获释后将受到15年的通知要求约束”，并且“这些要求包括有义务向警方报告任何新的设备、银行账户、地址、假期或关系”。

6 月，此案进一步引起关注，当时海德的律师拉吉夫·梅农 KC 被杰里米·约翰逊法官指控藐视法庭，因为他声称埃尔比特系统公司“在权力走廊里受到了款待”，并提醒陪审员他们有权根据良心做出无罪判决。

梅农目前面临藐视法庭的指控；资深律师批评了对他的起诉。

“约翰逊法官已经尽力了，”艾玛·卡米奥在谈到判决时说道。

2025年6月，英国将“巴勒斯坦行动”组织列为“恐怖组织”并予以取缔，加入该组织或表达对该组织的支持均属违法行为。已有超过2700人因抗议该禁令而被依据2000年《反恐法》逮捕。

在活动人士用喷漆涂污英国皇家空军飞机后，该组织被取缔，与基地组织、伊斯兰国（ISIS）和极右翼组织等机构并列。

公民自由组织和联合国专家抨击这项禁令是不自由的越权行为。

夏洛特·海德在狱中写的一封信中将判决描述为“出于政治动机，为了证明取缔巴勒斯坦行动的合理性”。

目前尚未确定上诉听证日期，但律师西蒙·纳塔斯表示，他希望听证会在“未来几个月内”开始。