Palestine Action activists LOSE appeal over outrageous prison sentences

Two Palestine Action activists, imprisoned for taking action to disrupt the operations of Thales in Govan, Glasgow, have been refused their appeal for immediate release from HMP Barlinnie. In a 5th November appeal hearing at Edinburgh’s High Court of Justiciary, two judges reduced their 12 months sentences to 10 months.

Palestine Action Thales 5: no light at the end of the tunnel

Stuart Bretherton and Calum Lacy have been imprisoned since 20 August 2024 on a 12-month sentence for ‘breach of the peace’, for actions at Thales’ Govan factory in June 2022. They were imprisoned alongside three others, collectively the ‘Thales 5′, who each face sentences between 12 and 14 months.

The action at Thales sought to disrupt the French arms giant’s operations, targeting the factory due to Thales’ considerable links with Israel’s largest arms firm, Elbit Systems, along with its direct supplies to the Israeli military during an ongoing genocide in Gaza:

Their imprisonment, superseding Scottish Sentencing Council guidelines against custodial sentences for those under 25 years of age, was issued by sheriff John McCormick to “deter” further actions by others against weapons companies in Scotland.

Both the original Sheriff and the Judges overseeing the appeal ignored the social work reports, which did not recommend jail as appropriate sentencing in this case.

Commenting on the imprisonment of the Thales 5, Green MSP Maggie Chapman has stated that “although draconian anti-protest laws have recently been implemented by Westminster, with some appalling effects, these are not applicable to Scotland, so it has been a severe shock to see the sentences passed upon these young activists”:

Not only are these disproportionate to the nonviolent nature of the actions, and inconsistent with the evidence provided by social work reports in the case, they also contradict the intent of the Scottish Sentencing Council’s guidelines on appropriate sanctions to be imposed upon young people.

Political prisoners

Annie Lane, partner of Stuart Bretherton, stated:

I deeply respect all five of them for the action they took and all Palestine action prisoners and activists in the UK who are refusing to be complicit whilst we witness a genocide in real time on our screens. These activists really are the best of us.

Stuart and I are expecting and having to go through pregnancy without him has been really difficult. But I think of the all those pregnant or with children living in Palestine under Israeli apartheid and I know what I am experiencing will never be as painful as what they are going through.

The Thales 5 political prisoners can be supported via a CrowdFunder set up by their family and friends. You can donate to that here.

Letters of support from members of the public are welcome. You can get details on how to write to them here.

The Thales 5 are joined by eleven others in Britain and, as of today, four in the United States, all imprisoned for taking direct action in the face of Western complicity in Israel’s genocide, occupation, and apartheid in Palestine.

In Britain, evidence obtained through disclosures suggest that Israel and Elbit Systems have exerted diplomatic and political pressure upon the British government, seeking greater repression of Palestine Action activists and intervention in their court cases.

Featured image and additional images via Palestine Action