FIVE Palestine Action activists have been jailed for at least a year each for taking direct action against Israel’s war crimes.

The activists had occupied a weapons factory in Glasgow belonging to French arms firm Thales.

The company has a contract with Elbit Systems, which produces 85 per cent of drones used by the Israel Defence Forces.

In June 2022, the activists occupied the roof and unfurled banners to disrupt production. Two of them also damaged weaponry inside the building.

Stuart Bretherton, Eva Simmons, Calum Lacy and Erica Hygate were imprisoned for 12 months and Sumaya Javaid for 14 months at Glasgow Sheriff Court.

A spokesperson for campaign group Defend Our Juries drew parallels with Russia’s jailing of 30 Greenpeace protesters in 2013, widely regarded as signalling rising authoritarianism.

“But now Britain has decided to follow in Putin’s footsteps by filling its own broken prison system with political prisoners — people of conscience who have taken direct action to stop crimes against humanity,” they added.