Five Pro-Palestine Activists Stand Trial in Germany Over Israeli Defense Contractor Raid

A group of five international activists are set to begin court proceedings this week in connection with a break-in at an Israeli weapons manufacturer in southwestern Germany. The defendants, whose families have raised concerns about the legal process, have remained in custody since September of last year under conditions they describe as severe.

The so-called "Ulm 5" — comprising British, Irish, German, and Spanish nationals based in Berlin — allegedly infiltrated the Ulm facility operated by Elbit Systems on the morning of 8 September. According to prosecutors, the group used axes to destroy equipment and detonated smoke devices before documenting their actions in a video and alerting authorities to their location.

Detention and Legal Charges

The five individuals have been held in separate correctional facilities since their arrest nine months ago without being granted bail. They face charges of trespassing, property destruction, and participation in a criminal organization under Section 129 of Germany's penal code — a provision that permits authorities to deny bail by classifying defendants as societal threats.

Prosecutors estimate the damage caused by the incident at somewhere between €200,000 and €1 million. If convicted, each defendant could face up to five years of imprisonment.

According to family members and advocates, the detained activists have endured extreme confinement circumstances, including:

Isolation for up to 23 hours daily
Severe limitations on visits, correspondence, and telephone access
Placement in maximum-security facilities despite lacking prior criminal records
Forced strip searches and other degrading procedures upon arrival at detention centers

Defense Strategy and Legal Arguments

Benjamin Düsberg, representing defendant Daniel Tatlow-Devally, 32, from Dublin, stated that the defense team plans to reframe the proceedings. "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," Düsberg declared.

The defense intends to invoke Section 32 of the German criminal code, which permits otherwise illegal actions if undertaken to prevent imminent harm. "Our central argument will be that the actions of our clients there — namely the destruction of laboratory equipment and office equipment — were justified under the grounds of emergency assistance," Düsberg explained.

The legal team argues that following the 2024 International Court of Justice determination that genocide allegations against Palestinians in Gaza were "plausible," Germany — the world's second-largest arms supplier to Israel after the United States — should have halted all weapon shipments to the country. Israel has rejected the ICJ's findings as "outrageous and false."

Concerns About Fair Trial

Family members of the defendants have expressed alarm that the case may serve a political agenda rather than pursue justice. Mimi Tatlow-Golden, mother of defendant Tatlow-Devally, a philosophy graduate, warned of a potential "show trial" designed to discourage similar activism.

"The friends carried out only property damage, at a specific location and with the aim to end a genocide. They did not hide their identities and presented themselves for arrest," Tatlow-Golden stated. "Using section 129 to keep them in detention before the trial can in my view only be viewed as serving a political purpose."

Defendants' Circumstances

The group includes:

Daniel Tatlow-Devally, 32, from Dublin
Zo Hailu, 25, a British citizen currently held in Bühl prison, who reportedly underwent strip search and was forced to wear an adult incontinence device upon arrival
Crow Tricks, 25, a British national confined at maximum-security Stuttgart-Stammheim prison with visits restricted to two hours monthly
Vi Kovarbasic, 29, a German citizen
Leandra Rollo, 40, a Spanish citizen from Argentina

All five retain no prior criminal convictions. Despite exceeding the standard six-month pre-trial detention threshold, Stuttgart's higher regional court authorized continuation of their custody, citing "risk of flight" concerns.

Broader Context

Elbit Systems serves as the principal land-based weapons supplier to the Israeli Defense Forces. The trial is anticipated to extend through late July and will take place in a specialized courtroom facility equipped with advanced security infrastructure, which officials noted was constructed to accommodate proceedings of considerable public attention.

Five Pro-Palestine Activists Stand Trial in Germany Over Israeli Defense Contractor Raid