CPS to seek a retrial against victorious Filton 24 activists

As reported by the Canary, six of the Filton 24 prisoners recently walked free after being acquitted of the charges against them. Now, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has announced its intent to seek a retrial against these activists:

A CPS spokesperson said: “Prosecutors are now considering the precise basis on which that retrial would proceed, including the form of the indictment, in accordance with CPS legal guidance." pic.twitter.com/oauNsFTMct

— Crown Prosecution Service (@CPSUK) February 7, 2026

Filton 24 triumph short lived

On 4 February, Skwawkbox reported for the Canary:

Six members of the Filton 24 have been acquitted by a jury in a major victory for anti-genocide protesters. After an 8-day deliberation Charlotte Head, Samuel Corner, Ellie (Leona) Kamio, Fatema Zainab Rajwani, Zoe Rogers, and Jordan Devlin were cleared of charges brought against them by the Starmer regime. The ‘Filton 24’ are a group of political prisoners held for action to inhibit the manufacture of Israeli weapons used against Palestinians.

The case of the Filton 24 activists was used as justification to proscribe Palestine Action as a terrorist organisation. Commenters have now argued this should challenge that proscription:

Palestine coalition welcomes Filton case outcome as significant defeat for the government which used the case to justify its disgraceful proscription of Palestine Action🧵 pic.twitter.com/1MbL5JbTfh

— Stop the War Coalition (@STWuk) February 6, 2026

The UK government pinned its case for declaring Palestine Action a terrorist organisation largely on the trial of the so-called Filton Six, claiming they had proved the group to be violent.

A jury today found none of them guilty of any of the charges. pic.twitter.com/pytV3HIJcl

— Jonathan Cook (@Jonathan_K_Cook) February 4, 2026

The case also challenged earlier assertions that activists “smashed” the spine of a police officer, although some journalists have continued to make the claim:

Allison Pearson is now flat-out lying about the #filton24 case: not even the prosecution claimed the officer's spine was "smashed" – shameful deception, a complete betrayal of her journalistic ethics and possibly criminal contempt of court https://t.co/BqdyjNXfJE

— Man in the High Castle (@mcelderrytruth) February 5, 2026

Although the government attempt to portray the Palestine Action activists as violent criminals, this body-cam footage, shown to the jury during the first Filton 24 trial, shows an Elbit security guard attacking two defendants with a sledgehammer. pic.twitter.com/pY2FWctcfp

— Asa Winstanley (@AsaWinstanley) February 4, 2026

Following the acquittal, Naila Ahmed (Head of Campaigns at CAGE) said:

This is a huge victory for the movement but nationally and abroad who campaigned on behalf of the defendants, and a powerful affirmation of jury independence and moral courage in the face of extraordinary political pressure.

Though they cannot get back the 17 months of their life taken from them unlawfully, they should all be compensated and the remaining 18 defendants of the Filton 24 should also be released on bail. This case was used to justify the ban against Palestine Action, a decision that should now be overturned.

CAGE calls for full compensation for those acquitted, a lifting of the ban on Palestine Action, an independent review into the political handling of the case, and the abolition of terror laws. The acquittal should prompt serious reflection on how easily due process can be eroded when political interests are at stake.

This case from the start has been heavily politicised.

The CPS are now publicly declaring, before the court hearing, that they’ll seek a retrial, despite the defendants having already spent 18months in prison without a single conviction.

This is political theatre. https://t.co/VdUw9wLjyG

— Huda Ammori (@HudaAmmori) February 7, 2026

Huda Ammori, the cofounder of Palestine Action added:

This case from the start has been heavily politicised.

The CPS are now publicly declaring, before the court hearing, that they’ll seek a retrial, despite the defendants having already spent 18months in prison without a single conviction.

This is political theatre.

Indeed it is Huda, indeed it is.

Featured image via CPS