YVETTE COOPER wrote a newspaper column about Palestine Action despite prosecutors warning it could prejudice criminal proceedings against six activists from the group, it was revealed yesterday.

The then-home secretary wrote the piece justifying the group’s proscription even though the Crown Prosecution Service advised that it might unfairly impact a trial concerning a 2024 break-in at an Israeli arms manufacturer’s factory.

After a retrial, four defendants were convicted last week in relation to the raid on the Elbit Systems UK site near Bristol.

According to the Guardian, the six’s defence lawyers sought to halt proceedings on the grounds of abuse of process, asserting that Ms Cooper’s column for the Observer was “an egregious example of contemptuous reporting which directly interferes with the court process.”

The August 17 article referred to a “terrorism connection,” violence, intimidation and “disturbing information” about future attacks.

In a pre-trial ruling in November, Mr Justice Johnson said it was to be taken that Ms Cooper “was specifically advised that going ahead with the article might prejudice these proceedings, and that she went ahead anyway.”

Defence lawyers also cited other articles, including a Times report that Home Office officials said Iran could be funding Palestine Action, a claim the Home Office later distanced itself from, but the judge dismissed the defence application and ruled there was no political interference in the charging decision.

The jury was not told during the trial about the allegation of a terrorist connection, which means that the four convicted defendants could face significantly harsher terms when they are sentenced next month.

A Home Office spokesperson said: “The judge concluded the article did not prevent a fair trial from taking place.”