Full Breakdown
Trial of the “Ulm Five” Over Attack on Elbit Systems Factory in Germany
4/27/2026, 8:02:37 PM
The Ulm Factory Raid and Charges
On 8 September 2025, five activists broke into Elbit Systems’ Ulm subsidiary, smashed windows, destroyed computers, screens, telephones and other office equipment, and set off smoke bombs. They filmed the act, called police and waited for arrest. Prosecutors charge them with trespass, property damage and participation in a criminal organisation under Section 129.
Background: German Arms Exports and Elbit
Germany is the world’s second-largest arms supplier to Israel after the United States. Elbit Systems provides roughly 85 % of the Israeli Defence Forces’ combat drones and land-based weapons, making its German sites a focal point for pro-Palestinian activism.
Defendants and Their Actions
The “Ulm Five” comprise Irish national Daniel Tatlow-Devally (32), British citizens Zo Hailu (25) and Crow Tricks (25), German citizen Vi Kovarbasic (29) and Spanish-Argentinian Leandra Rollo (40). They entered the factory, used axes and smoke bombs, defaced the exterior with graffiti and posted a video of the incident online.
Legal Charges and Potential Penalties
Prosecutors invoke Section 129, typically used for terrorism, and allege an anti-Semitic motive. Defence cites Section 32 for emergency-assistance justification. Convictions could bring up to five years’ imprisonment; a higher-court estimate suggests sentences over two years.
Official Statements
The Stuttgart Office of the Chief Prosecutor says the raid was anti-Semitic and that the defendants belong to “Palestine Action Germany.” A court spokesperson noted that pre-trial detention can be extended for flight risk and highlighted the courtroom’s high-security design.
Defence Position and Family Concerns
Lawyers Benjamin Düsberg and Matthias Schuster say the act was civil disobedience aimed at halting arms shipments to Gaza, invoking Section 32’s emergency-assistance defence. Families call the pre-trial conditions “extreme” and “torture-like,” noting 23-hour isolation, strip-searches, limited visits and denied books.
Human-Rights Criticism
Amnesty International’s Paula Zimmermann warned that using a criminal-organisation statute for political protest “equates legitimate civil-society engagement with organised crime.” Cage International describes the case as part of a coordinated crackdown on anti-genocide activism.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
Damage estimates range from €200 000 to over €1 million. Sources differ on pre-trial detention length—some cite a six-month legal limit, others report seven months. The alleged anti-Semitic motive remains unsubstantiated in publicly available evidence.
Verbatim Quotes
- “We intend to use the proceedings to essentially turn the tables. We want to show that it’s not our clients who should be on the hook, but rather the Elbit bosses, who continued delivering weapons even during the genocide.” — Benjamin Düsberg, lawyer for Daniel Tatlow-Devally
- “Our central argument will be that the actions of our clients there – namely the destruction of laboratory equipment and office equipment – were justified under the grounds of emergency assistance.” — Benjamin Düsberg
- “It feels like torture” — Mimi Tatlow-Golden, mother of Daniel Tatlow-Devally
- “significant human rights and rule-of-law concerns” — Paula Zimmermann, Amnesty International
Outlook
The trial, postponed after defendants were placed behind glass barriers, is set to resume in early May and is expected to conclude by the end of July, after which sentencing will be determined.
