Trial judge Andrew Lees has discharged the entire jury at Woolwich Crown Court in the third trial of ‘Filton 25′ anti-genocide activists. The reason has not yet been disclosed, but the state has lost a string of trials of genocide opponents because juries refused to convict.
Friends of genocide
‘Friend of genocide’ Shabana Mahmood’s Home Office – euphemistically called ‘the crown’ – said through prosecutor Deanna Heer that it plans to put Qesser Zuhrah, Heba Muraisi, Zahra Farooq, Kamran Ahmed, Moiz Ibrahim and Liam Mullany on trial again:
Surprisingly, the defendants were allowed to discuss Israel’s genocide in Gaza during their evidence, and to talk about their reasons for taking action against Israeli weapons-maker Elbit. This is against the state’s usual trial demands during its Israel-driven war on anti-genocide protest – and there can be little doubt Mahmood will be trying to prevent it in any retrial, along with any mention of juries’ absolute legal right to acquit no matter what.