The UK government allegedly shared contact information of counter-terrorism police and prosecutors with the Israeli embassy during an investigation into protests at an arms factory, raising concerns about potential foreign interference.
An email was sent on September 9th last year by the Attorney General’s Office (AGO) to Daniela Grudsky Ekstein, Israel’s deputy ambassador to the UK, containing the subject “CPS/SO15 [Crown Prosecution Service/counterterrorism police] contact details”.
In August of last year, 10 Palestine Action activists were arrested under the Terrorism Act after a protest at an Israeli weapons factory, and in November, 8 more activists were arrested in connection with the same incident. The email, which was obtained through a freedom of information (FoI) request, was sent 11 days after a meeting between the head of international law at the AGO, Nicola Smith, and Grudsky Ekstein.
Lydia Dagostino, a legal representative for some Palestine Action activists, expressed concern over the information disclosed through the FoI request and called for further investigation into why the Attorney General’s Office provided contact details for the CPS, an independent body, to the Israelis, as well as the nature of any further exchanges and discussions regarding ongoing criminal prosecutions.
Dr. Shahd Hammouri, an academic and international lawyer, also raised concerns about evidence indicating potential foreign influence.
A meeting between Smith and Grudsky Ekstein on August 28th was heavily redacted when later accessed. Previous disclosures have shown requests by the Israeli embassy to the AGO to intervene in individual cases and meetings between representatives of the Israeli defense contractor and the AGO and Home Office ministers.
In 2023, the Guardian revealed that in response to a redacted request from the Israeli embassy, the director general of the AGO, Douglas Wilson, replied that the CPS makes its prosecution decisions independently and the law officers cannot intervene in individual cases.
Wilson was present at the meeting in August last year with Smith and Grudsky Ekstein. A 2023 briefing note for a meeting between Chris Philp, a former Home Office minister, and the Israeli embassy indicated that the CPS declined to attend the meeting to preserve operational independence.
Huda Ammori, the co-founder of Palestine Action, stated that the timing of this correspondence coincides with an ongoing investigation into Palestine Action activists accused of dismantling the site of Israel’s biggest arms producer.
Foreign interference in the case, as well as other ongoing criminal cases, appears to have been facilitated by the Attorney General’s Office, according to Ammori.
Four UN special rapporteurs wrote to the UK government last November expressing concern about the seemingly unjustified use of terrorism legislation against protesters. Those arrested under the Terrorism Act 2000 can be held for up to 14 days without charge.
The special rapporteurs’ letter highlighted that the arrested activists were initially held for 36 hours without access to legal representation and then detained for a further seven days under counter-terrorism legislation.
Counterterrorism legislation has reportedly been increasingly used in the context of domestic support for Palestinian self-determination and political activism against the UK’s foreign policy on the conflict in the occupied Palestinian territory of Gaza.
The letter noted that members of Palestine Action have been arrested under counter-terrorism legislation for conduct that seems to be more in line with ordinary criminal offenses rather than genuinely “terrorist” activities according to international standards.
No charges were brought under the Terrorism Act in relation to the protest. Ten individuals charged with non-terrorism offenses have had their legal support, family visits, healthcare, and religious rights limited while in prison awaiting trial.
A government source stated that it has been routine under successive governments for the AGO to assist embassies in contacting the relevant authorities for the purpose of sharing information relevant to a case.
Prosecution, conviction, and sentencing decisions are made independently of the government by the Crown Prosecution Service, juries, and judges respectively.
The Israeli embassy did not respond to a request for comment. In regards to a separate case, an Israeli embassy spokesperson previously stated that they respect the independence of the British judicial system and would not interfere in UK legal proceedings under any circumstances.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025/apr/29/police-and-prosecutors-details-shared-with-israel-during-uk-protests-inquiry-papers-suggest
