Images are available for free of the previous Filton18 hearing, with credit to Martin Pope
New documents have revealed the Attorney General’s Office (AGO) directly facilitating Israeli interference in ongoing cases against activists. In the weeks following the first arrests of ‘Filton 18’ activists, FOI disclosures show that the AGO shared with the Embassy contact details for the Crown Prosecution Service, and the ‘SO15’ Counter-Terrorism Command overseeing their investigation. Covered by the Guardian[1], the documents suggest political interference in the ongoing case and policing operations, in which counter-terror powers have been used to repress activists taking direct action against the Israeli weapons industry in Britain.
In August 2024, the first ten activists of the ‘Filton 18’ were imprisoned after a raid on an Elbit Systems weapons plant in Filton, Bristol, where Israeli quadcopter drones were destroyed [2]. They were arrested, imprisoned and detained under ‘Counter Terror’ powers, which during their pre-charge and pre-trial detention have been used to deny their basic rights [3]. Four UN special rapporteurs have condemned the use of counter-terrorism powers in this case [4].
In the weeks after their arrest, correspondence demonstrates the extent of communications held between the Attorney General’s Office and the Israeli Embassy. Although the contents is almost entirely redacted, the subject heading of one email shows Nicola Smith, the AGO’s Head of International Law and National Security sharing information “to Israelis re CPS/SO15 contact details“ on 9th September 2024 [5]. The email sent to Daniela Ekstein, the Deputy Israeli Ambassador to the UK, appears to be a follow-up to a meeting held on the 28th August between Smith, Ekstein, the Embassy’s Consellor of Political Affairs Yosef Zilberman, and AGO Director Douglas Wilson. Wilson, who was copied into the email, was previously revealed to have discussed ongoing cases of Palestine Action activists with the Israeli Embassy [6].
The details shared relate to SO15, the Counter Terrorism Command; the CPS are the body prosecuting the case and in an unprecendented move, are submitting to the court that the Filton18’s alleged offences have a ‘terrorism-connection’.
Logically, after contact was facilitated by the AGO, subsequent correspondence would have presumably taken place between the Embassy, CPS, and SO15. Just over two months after the email was sent, an additional ten were raided and arrested under those same powers by terrorism police – eight of which were also charged and remanded to prison [7].
Any improper influence by the Israeli Embassy would result in a violation of the Crown Prosecution Service’s General Principle 2.1, that “The independence of the prosecutor is central to the criminal justice system of a democratic society. Prosecutors are independent from persons or agencies that are not part of the prosecution decision-making process. CPS prosecutors are also independent from the police and other investigators. Prosecutors must be free to carry out their professional duties without political interference and must not be affected by improper or undue pressure or influence from any source.”
With the possibility of diplomatic involvement in the Crown’s case, Palestine Action have called for the charges to be dropped. This evidence is the latest in a series of documents detailing apparent interference in Palestine Action cases, and collusion between the CPS, Home Office, AGO, senior police officials, and representives of Elbit Systems and the Israeli Embassy. [8, 9, 10]. The correspondence raises questions of Embassy interference in all manner of policing operations relating to Palestine in Britain, where counter-terror powers are liberally used against activists, journalists, and acadmics supportive of Palestinian liberation [11].
A Palestine Action spokesperson has stated:
“The Israeli Embassy has attempted to interfere in our cases for years. For the first time, our activists are detained for direct action under counter terror powers, the CPS pursuing ‘terrorism-connected’ charges. As this unprecedented escalation of state repression happens, the Israeli Embassy has secured direct communication with the CPS and the ‘counter-terror’ police responsible.
Political interference is forbidden in our legal system, and in the Filton 18 case its resulted in the most draconian laws being wielded against them. In light of the information uncovered, continuing the prosecution against them is a serious miscarriage of justice. They must be released and all compromised prosecutions of activists and journalists must be stopped.”
Clare Rogers, mother of Filton 18 Political Prisoner Zoe Rogers, stated:
“My 21-year-old daughter Zoe has been in prison for 8 months without trial and counting. She took action against Elbit because she couldn’t sit on her hands and do nothing while her government committed war crimes by supplying arms to Israel.
It’s sickening to learn that the brutal repression she & the Filton18 are experiencing may have been planned in secret conversations between our government and the Israeli embassy. In a just nation, the Filton18 case would be thrown out as soon as this political interference came to light.”
[1]https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025/apr/29/police-and-prosecutors-details-shared-with-israel-during-uk-protests-inquiry-papers-suggest
[2] https://www.nytimes.com/2024/08/13/world/europe/israeli-arms-company-elbit-break-in.html
[3] https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/un-experts-intervene-filton-18-palestine-action-case
[4] https://spcommreports.ohchr.org/TMResultsBase/DownLoadPublicCommunicationFile?gId=29507
[5] See ’05. 2024.09.09 Nicola Smith to Israelis re CPS/ SO15 contact details’ https://palestineaction.org/05-2024-09-09-nicola-smith-to-israelis-re-cps_so15-contact-details/
[6] https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/un-experts-intervene-filton-18-palestine-action-case
[6] https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/aug/20/israeli-embassy-officials-attempted-to-influence-uk-court-cases-documents-suggest
[7] https://www.newarab.com/news/uk-counter-terrorism-police-arrest-10-palestine-action-activists
[8] https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/sep/30/activists-say-they-have-proof-ministers-tried-to-influence-police-over-israeli-arms-firm-protests
[9] https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/aug/20/israeli-embassy-officials-attempted-to-influence-uk-court-cases-documents-suggest
[10] https://www.declassifieduk.org/labour-held-secret-meeting-with-top-israeli-arms-firm/
[11] https://www.declassifieduk.org/journalism-is-not-a-crime-tell-that-to-the-british-state/