UK judge rules Palestine Action activists will not face terrorism sentences

A Preston Crown Court judge ruled on Friday that five members of the Palestine Action group convicted of criminal damage to a Barclays bank branch in Burnley will not be sentenced under terrorism laws. The activists – Brendon O’Hagan, Amanda Kelly, Hmeera Atiqnisar, Mohammed Malik and Alma Yaniv – were found guilty in June of causing £212,000 in damage while protesting the bank’s investment in Israeli weapons maker Elbit Systems.

Supporters gathered outside the court and cheered as the ruling was announced.

"It’s a victory for us, it’s a victory for Palestine, it’s a victory for protesting … We are on the right side of history," said Dove Malik, the mother of Mohammed Malik.

The defendants issued a joint statement saying they were "extremely relieved that the court has seen sense and decided not to sentence us as terrorists" and noted that neither they nor the jury had been warned that a terrorism conviction was possible.

The judge indicated he would consider whether the offence had a "terrorist connection," a step previously taken in a separate case involving Palestine Action activists at an Elbit Systems site near Bristol. Criminal lawyer Raj Chada said the use of terrorism-related provisions in such protests is unusual and appears limited to Palestine Action cases.

Human-rights groups have criticized the government's decision to proscribe Palestine Action in July 2025, describing it as an overreach. Amnesty International UK’s head, Kerry Moscogiuri, called for the proscription to be lifted and for an end to the use of broad counter-terror powers against direct-action protesters.