Five Pro-Palestinian activists to stand trial in Germany Photo

Five pro-Palestinian activists are due to appear in court in Germany over an alleged break-in and damage at an Israeli defence company, in a case their families say could amount to a “show trial”.

The defendants—British, Irish, German and Spanish citizens based in Berlin—have been held in pre-trial detention in separate prisons since 8 September. They are accused of breaking into the facilities of Elbit Systems in the city of Ulm, Baden-Württemberg, in the early hours of that day, causing what prosecutors say amounted to hundreds of thousands of euros in damage before alerting police themselves, The Guardian reports. 

The group, referred to by supporters as the “Ulm 5,” faces charges including trespass, property damage and participation in a criminal organisation under Section 129 of the German Criminal Code. The trial is set to begin on April 27.

Under Section 129, authorities can treat suspects as members of a criminal organisation, allowing for extended detention without bail. Family members of the defendants say they have been held in conditions involving long periods of isolation and restricted access to visits, communication and reading material. If convicted, they face up to five years in prison.

Lawyer Benjamin Düsberg, representing one of the defendants, Daniel Tatlow-Devally, said the case is being used to make an example of the accused, who have no prior convictions.

He argued that the actions were intended to prevent weapons transfers to Israel, stating: “We intend to use the proceedings to essentially turn the tables. We want to show that it’s not our clients who should be on the hook, but rather the Elbit bosses, who continued delivering weapons even during the genocide.”

Elbit Systems is a major supplier of land-based military equipment to the Israeli armed forces. The company has not publicly commented on the case.

The defence also plans to argue that the actions may be legally justified under emergency provisions of German law, with Düsberg citing Section 32 of the Criminal Code, which allows otherwise unlawful acts to be excused if necessary to prevent imminent harm.

By Sabina Mammadli