Man on Trial for Attempting to Climb Israeli Embassy Fence in London with Knives

A 34-year-old man was arrested outside the Israeli embassy in London on 28 April 2024 while attempting to climb an 8-foot-high fence, carrying two knives. The incident occurred at the embassy in London, where armed diplomatic protection officers observed him scaling the fence and intervened. Abdullah Albadri denies charges of preparing terrorist acts and possession of two bladed articles.

The trial is taking place at the Old Bailey in London. Prosecution barrister Catherine Pattison told the jury that Albadri had arrived in the UK by small boat from France on two occasions. His first arrival was on 5 August 2021, and he left the country by November 2023 before re-entering on 12 April 2024.

Upon his second arrival, Albadri was provided temporary accommodation at the Crowne Plaza hotel in Basingstoke, Hampshire. He contacted charities assisting asylum seekers, including Migrant Help and Care4Calais, and met with members of the Kuwaiti community in London.

In a draft email recovered from his phone, he described himself as a human rights activist who had been arrested in Kuwait, stating that his life and his family's lives were threatened.

Evidence from Phone and Communications On 24 April 2024, less than two weeks after his arrival, Albadri searched for the location of the Israeli embassy on his phone and looked up information on religious law related to suicide, according to the prosecution.

On the morning of 28 April, he continued communicating with the charities regarding his asylum application. At 15:30 that afternoon, he sent a picture of a handwritten note to his mother via WhatsApp, with a knife visible in the image. The note, described by the prosecution as a martyrdom note, stated intentions related to a religious, political, or ideological cause.