We now have a new political prisoner, after Shaby Aziz received a 2 year sentence for burglary, with 3 months concurrent for criminal damage, after an action at the now-closed Israeli weapons factory, Ferrant, in Oldham.
He has been imprisoned after sentencing at the #Ferranti3 trial in Manchester today. He will spend up to half of that sentence in custody.
The judge, Baxter, ruled out all legal defences before trial and restricted what the actionists could tell the jury about Palestine and Elbit. The Judge referred to the disruption of Ferranti’s “perfectly lawful business” at sentencing.
The Ferranti factory, belonging to Israel’s largest arms firm Elbit Systems, has now been forced closed as a result of direct action. Prior to its closure, it manufactured parts for Israel’s deadly ‘Hermes’ drones, and equipment for Israel’s tanks. In June 2021, three activists including Shaby entered the Ferranti factory and dismantled the weaponry-producing machinery inside.
Another actionist, Ali, who on arrest said, “They are killing children, they have killed my family”, received a 2 year suspended sentence with 300 hours unpaid work and costs.
In court, supporters cheered and applauded, shouting ‘Free Palestine!’.
There are now 21 Palestine Action political prisoners, detained for intervening in the genocide. Only two of them, including Shaby, are serving time for convictions, while 19 of them are detained before trial.
