2nd March 2010
EDO DECOMMISSIONERS WAR CRIMES DEFENCE RULED
ADMISSIBLE 
An attempt by the Crown Prosecution Service to deny a prevention of
war
crimes
defence to the EDO Decommissioners was defeated yesterday (Tuesday 1st
March).
The trial which is due to begin on May 15th at Lewes Crown Court
centres
around six
activists who broke into Brighton-based arms manufacturers EDO ITT
during the
Israeli assault on Gaza in January 2009 and caused at least £300,000 of
damage.
Three others are also accused of conspiring with them.
The defendants aim to prove that their actions were taken as a
necessary,
direct,
and proportionate response to the use of weapons manufactured in the
U.K
by the
Israeli airforce. On the night of the decommissioning Elijah Smith, the
defendant
who remains on remand said " "I don't feel I'm going to do anything
illegal tonight, but I'm going to go into an arms factory and smash it
up
to the best of my ability so that it cannot actually produce munitions
and
these very dirty bombs that have been provided to the Israeli army so
that
they can kill children"
The CPS attempted to prevent the defendants from using any defence
that
relied on
their belief that ITT-EDO MBM were supplying weapons components to
Israel
used in
war crimes in Gaza.
Judge Kemp of Lewes Crown Court refused all three prosecution
applications
and
denied them permission to appeal. However the CPS said they would take
the
matter to
the Court of Appeal in London. If they are successful, the defendants
will
be denied
the right to explain their actions in front of a jury, and it would be
impossible to
call eyewitnesses from Gaza, or show that EDO ITT supply the Israeli
airforce. A
hearing is due to take place sometime in the next few weeks.
Chloe Marsh press spokesperson for the campaign said "This was an attempt by the authorities to shut down a fair trial for the defendants. There are important questions to be answered about this company's complicity in war crimes. We welcome the judge's decision and condemn these underhand attempts to prevent a jury from hearing the full facts of the case."
Notes for Journalists
EDO MBM, based in Moulsecoomb, is a weapons manufacturer owned by
the American multi-national ITT. They make weapon components for the
Paveway guided bomb programme, which was the most used aerial weapon in
the attack on Iraq. They also own the patents of the Zero Retention
Force Arming Unit and the Ejector Release Unit ERU 151, both essential
components for the F16 aircraft’s VER-2 bomb rack, used by the Israeli
Air Force against civilians in Gaza.
Since 2004 there has been a growing campaign against EDO MBM in
Brighton. Campaigners have used diverse tactics to highlight and resist
this murderous business in our city. There have been blockades, rooftop
occupations, street theatre and hundreds of noise demos outside the
factory. Thousands of people have also taken to the streets against
them during nationally advertised events.