UK Judge Sentences Four Palestine Action Protesters as Terrorists After Jury Conviction

A UK judge sentenced four members of Palestine Action to terms that classified them as terrorists, even though a jury had convicted them only of criminal damage. Defend Our Juries condemned the sentencing, stating that it marked the first time in British history that individuals convicted by a jury of criminal damage received such a designation.

The group said the ruling overrides the jury's decision by applying terrorism-related sentencing. Palestine Action has conducted protests targeting sites linked to Israel's military activities.

Background on the Case The four protesters were found guilty by a jury of causing criminal damage. The judge then applied sentencing guidelines that treat the offense in a manner consistent with terrorism provisions. Defend Our Juries described this as an unprecedented step in the United Kingdom's legal system.

The organization called on supporters to defend the role of juries in determining the gravity of protest-related offenses. No further details on the length of the sentences or the specific damage caused were reported in the initial coverage.

Separately, the death toll in Israeli attacks on Lebanon has risen to 2,883 since March 2, according to the Lebanese government’s Disaster Risk Management Unit. The unit reported 8,787 wounded, 127,721 displaced persons in shelters and 33,125 displaced families.

The Lebanese president offered condolences after two paramedics were killed in an Israeli attack in southern Lebanon. His office stated that targeting humanitarian workers constitutes a flagrant violation of international law. In the occupied West Bank, Israeli forces and settlers have killed at least one Palestinian child per week on average since the start of 2025, the United Nations said.

UNICEF’s James Elder called on Israeli authorities to uphold children’s rights.

Fidan told Al Jazeera that the US and Iran are showing enough will to stop the war. He said both sides can reach a permanent settlement and that Turkiye supports mediation efforts led by Pakistan with help from Turkiye and Qatar. Fidan stated that Ankara’s top priority is to see the ceasefire hold and expressed a desire to return to the pre-war situation in the Strait of Hormuz with free passage for all ships.

He warned that introducing new regulations could become a source of new conflict. Qatar condemned an alleged infiltration by members of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps onto a nearby island to carry out hostile acts against Kuwait. Qatar’s Foreign Ministry called it a blatant aggression against Kuwait’s sovereignty and a threat to regional security.

Iran’s deputy foreign minister for legal and international affairs, Kazem Gharibabadi, defended Iran’s proposal to end the war. He said it represented the minimum requirements aligned with the UN Charter and accused the other side of seeking imposition of political will rather than genuine peace.

The US Energy Information Administration said it expects Iran will need to reduce oil output partly due to the US blockade on its ports. It projected that oil output and trade patterns would not return to prewar levels until late this year or early next year.