UK: 5 Palestine Activists Could Face Terror Sentencing
Simon Speakman Cordall
A UK court will decide whether five Palestine Action activists convicted of vandalizing a Barclays branch face terror-related sentencing. Critics argue the 'terror connection' law is being applied unusually to target the group, whose actions predate its proscription.
Preston Crown Court in England is expected to rule on whether five activists from the Palestine Action group, convicted of causing £212,000 (about $290,000) in damage during a protest targeting a Barclays bank branch, will face the sentencing framework reserved for terrorism offenses. The defendants are Brendon O’Hagan (28), Amanda Kelly (31), Hmeera Atiqnisar (31), Mohammed Malik (28), and Alma Yaniv (70).
The incident took place in August 2024 in Burnley, Lancashire, when the group protested Barclays' shareholding in Israeli defense firm Elbit Systems. They were convicted of criminal damage, but Judge Philip Parry subsequently announced he would consider whether the case carried a "terror connection." The sentencing hearing was initially scheduled for September 4.
Raj Chada, a lawyer from Hodge Jones & Allen who has defended several Palestine Action members, said the "terror connection" provisions have existed for a long time but appear to have been applied only recently, and only in cases involving this group. "In our experience, the use of the law in this way is very, very unusual and appears to target Palestine Action activists whose actions predate the group's proscription," he said.
At the time of the offense, Palestine Action was not designated as a terrorist organization by the UK government, and neither the defendants nor the jury were aware of the possibility of this charge. However, after the verdict, Judge Parry announced he would consider it. This move follows another ruling in June, when four Palestine Action activists convicted of vandalism at Elbit Systems' Filton site near Bristol were also sentenced under the terrorism framework nearly two years after the protest.
According to lawyer Chada, "to the best of our knowledge, the only time this law has been used against direct-action protest groups is in the Filton case." He stressed that prosecutors are using the law to target conduct rather than the individuals or organizations carrying it out.
Supporters of the defendants also question the role of Judge Robert Altham, who will decide whether to add the "terror connection" to the damage charges. Previously, in September 2018, Altham sentenced environmental activists, but the Court of Appeal later found the sentence "clearly excessive." Huda Ammori, co-founder of Palestine Action, called Altham's involvement in the case "shocking."
According to the campaign group Defend Our Juries, more than 3,500 people — many over 60 — have been arrested for expressing support for Palestine Action since the group was added to the terrorist list in July 2025, placing it on the same legal footing as al-Qaeda and ISIL. Many arrests occurred at repeated silent sit-ins in London's Parliament Square, where protesters held banners reading "I oppose genocide, I support Palestine Action."
Next Friday, Defend Our Juries said a group of "peaceful citizens" will gather outside Preston Crown Court "to show solidarity with the 'Barclays Five,' whom Judge Parry wants to sentence as terrorists for spray-painting a bank." They emphasized: "Seeking to prevent loss of life is not terrorism. Opposing genocide is not terrorism."
