BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 21. Five Palestine Action activists convicted of causing damage to a Barclays Bank branch in the United Kingdom will not be sentenced under terrorism legislation, a judge has ruled.
Brendon O’Hagan, 28, Amanda Kelly, 31, Hmeera Atiqnisar, 31, Mohammed Malik, 28, and Alma Yaniv, 70, were convicted in June over damage caused to a Barclays branch in Burnley, Lancashire, in August 2024.
The damage was valued at £212,000 ($290,000). The activists targeted the bank as part of a protest against its shareholdings in Israeli defence company Elbit Systems.
Judge Robert Altham announced the ruling at Preston Crown Court on Friday, determining that the five would not be sentenced under terrorism laws.
Scores of supporters gathered outside the court and responded to the decision with cheers and pro-Palestinian chants.
Mohammed Malik’s mother, Dove Malik, welcomed the decision, describing it to Al Jazeera as a victory for the defendants, Palestine and the right to protest.
The case has drawn attention amid broader debates in the United Kingdom over pro-Palestinian activism, protest rights and the application of terrorism legislation.
