Jonathan Hall KC
Independent Reviewer of Terrorism Legislation
6KBW College Hill
21 College Hill
EC4R 2RP
9 January 2025
By email: Jonathan.Hall@6kbw.com
Dear Mr Hall,
Incarceration of the Filton 10 Activists
I am writing to express my profound concern regarding the arrest and detention of ten activists who acted to prevent weapons from being manufactured in the UK for use in the genocide in Gaza. These individuals undertook direct action out of frustration with the persistent and continued failure of our government and international organisations to address the mass killing of men, women, and children solely because they are Palestinian. This inaction has endured despite large-scale protests across the UK, with hundreds of thousands of people taking to the streets.
The activists strongly believe that the UK government has neglected its legal and moral responsibility to halt this genocide and prevent the supply of weapons to Israel. They targeted equipment at Elbit Systems’ premises—equipment, including drones, intended for use in the oppression and killing of Palestinians. For their morally courageous actions, they were arrested under anti-terrorism legislation, enabling the police to subject them to severe human rights violations, including a week of solitary confinement.
Although the activists now face charges unrelated to terrorism—aggravated burglary and criminal damage—they have been denied bail and are being subjected to treatment typically reserved for terrorism suspects. This includes the denial of reading materials, restrictions on religious practice, breaches of medical privacy, and severely limited communication with other prisoners. Furthermore, five of the activists remain under arbitrary non-association orders, allowing them just one visit for every six granted to other remand prisoners. They face reduced access to prison activities and restrictions on attending workshops together. With their trial scheduled for November 2025, these individuals are set to spend 17 months in prison before their case is even heard.
It is clear that the Filton 10 are political prisoners. The punitive actions taken against them – far exceeding what their charges warrant – demonstrate a deliberate attempt by the authorities to suppress dissent. This treatment sends an unmistakable message: the UK government supports Israel and will aggressively punish those who challenge this position. The disproportionate use of anti-terrorism measures in their case is not about justice but about silencing criticism and deterring activism, making their imprisonment inherently political.
Their treatment constitutes a grave miscarriage of justice. These conscientious activists are being unjustly treated as terrorists and subjected to punitive measures that are both excessive and inhumane. The application of terrorism laws in this context raises serious concerns about misuse and overreach, which fall squarely within your remit as Independent Reviewer of Terrorism Legislation.
I urge you to examine how these laws are being applied in this case, evaluate their appropriateness, and make the necessary recommendations to end/prevent further abuses here and in similar cases. If you fail to act, your role risks becoming a mere tool for rubber-stamping the government’s authoritarian powers, rather than serving as a safeguard against their misuse.
Yours sincerely,
Massoud Shadjareh
Chair, Islamic Human Rights Commission
