Pro-Palestine activist charged after counter-terror arrest in Watford
Qesser Zuhrah, 21, bailed after court appearance over alleged posts encouraging criminal damage
A pro-Palestine activist linked to direct action against Israeli defence sites has been charged following a counter-terrorism investigation after being arrested at her home in Watford.
Qesser Zuhrah, 21, of Swiss Avenue, was charged on Monday evening with three counts of intentionally encouraging or assisting criminal damage.
In a statement, Counter Terrorism Policing South East said: “A woman has been charged following a Counter Terrorism Policing South East (CTPSE) investigation.”
They added: “Qesser Zuhrah, of Swiss Avenue, Watford, was charged yesterday evening (30/3) with three counts of intentionally encouraging or assisting the commission of an offence, namely criminal damage, contrary to Section 44 of the Serious Crime Act 2007.”
Police said: “The charges are in connection with posts made on social media.”
Zuhrah appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday (31 March) and has since been released on bail.
She had initially been arrested on suspicion of “intentionally encouraging or assisting the commission of an offence, namely criminal damage” and “encouragement of terrorism, contrary to Section 1 of the Terrorism Act 2006”.
The charges are understood to relate to three posts on her social media story allegedly calling for “direct action”.
Zuhrah is part of a group of activists known as the “Filton 24”, who are accused of targeting a UK facility linked to Israeli defence firm Elbit Systems in August 2024.
According to campaigners supporting her, she was arrested “because of an Instagram story she posted, which allegedly encouraged people to take ‘direct action’”.
Zuhrah had been released on bail last month after spending 15 months on remand. During her time in custody, she undertook a prolonged hunger strike and later alleged mistreatment, claiming: “On the 45th or 46th day, they left me paralysed with muscle wastage on my cell floor for 22 hours.”
A government spokesperson rejected those claims, saying: “All individuals were managed in line with longstanding policy while in prison. This includes regular checks by medical professionals, heart monitoring and blood tests, and support to help them eat and drink again.”
The case comes amid ongoing scrutiny of Palestine Action-linked activism in the UK, particularly targeting companies associated with Israel, as authorities continue to assess the boundary between protest and criminal conduct.
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