German court tries five activists accused of vandalising Israeli arms maker Elbit
Five individuals are on trial in Ulm for damaging property at Elbit's German facility and facing charges including participation in a criminal organization.
In a high-security courtroom in Ulm, five activists are being tried for property damage, illegal entry and alleged membership in a criminal organization after they entered the German plant of Israeli weapons manufacturer Elbit and spray-painted slogans on its walls. The accused—Daniel Taltou-Devalli (Ireland), Leandra Rolo (Spain), Crow Triks and Jo Hailu (United Kingdom), and Vi Kovarbat (Germany)—assert that their protest was aimed at preventing greater crimes linked to Israel's military actions in Gaza.
Their defence team plans to argue that the Israeli operation in Gaza constitutes genocide and that Germany is complicit through arms exports to Elbit. The case, which started in April, may lead to imprisonment of up to five years for each defendant. Meanwhile, the defendants are held in separate prisons under restrictive conditions, with limited family visits and communication.
Why it matters
The trial highlights tensions between protest activism, arms-industry ties and legal limits on dissent in Europe.
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