By Staff, Agencies

Sean Middlebrough, 33, a Palestine Action activist, has fled a United Kingdom prison after being temporarily released on bail for his brother’s wedding.

Known as “Shibby,” Middlebrough released a statement to The Electronic Intifada on Monday, saying that he is not a terrorist and contending that his imprisonment was unjust.

Following a four-day conditional release on October 23, Middlebrough failed to return to Wandsworth prison in London. Sources confirmed to The Electronic Intifada that he successfully evaded police checks at his home, without his family's knowledge.

Middlebrough, originally from Liverpool, was on remand for a third time due to his involvement in an August 2024 protest at an "Elbit" weapons facility in Filton, near Bristol. "Elbit" Systems is known as one of "Israel's" largest arms manufacturers, with significant operations in the UK.

During the Filton demonstration, activists reportedly drove a van into the factory, causing an estimated $2.5 million in damage to military equipment, including armed quadcopters utilized by the "Israeli" occupation forces in its genocide in Gaza.

Six people were arrested at the scene and faced charges including criminal damage and violent disorder, with a total of 24 individuals later detained by British counterterrorism police in connection with the action.

Middlebrough's trial is scheduled for April 2026, and he has spent over a year in pre-trial detention, far exceeding the six-month limit typically imposed on pre-trial custody.

“I am not on the run,” Middlebrough stated. “I refuse to be held as a prisoner of war in a British prison. Outrageously, 23 of my heroic co-defendants remain incarcerated following our kidnapping by counterterrorism police.”

The British government designated Palestine Action as a “terrorist group” on July 5, 2024, drawing criticism from the UN for what it described as a disturbing misuse of counterterrorism legislation.

Middlebrough criticized police tactics during his arrest, noting that they employed counterterrorism measures despite him not being charged with any related offenses. “We were raided, our families detained, and guns pointed at our heads,” he said.

Huda Ammori, co-founder of Palestine Action, said that the charges against the activists have been wrongfully associated with terrorism. “Though the Filton 24 face non-terrorism charges, the prosecution claims a 'terrorism connection,' which could lead to increased penalties if convicted,” she explained.

Middlebrough described his prison conditions as harsh, revealing that he was confined to a one-person cell and often locked up for up to 23 hours a day.

“I barely received proper food, and my rights were severely restricted,” he added.

Involved with Palestine Action since January 2022, Middlebrough has participated in various protests against "Israel's" occupation of Palestine.

His previous detentions included being charged with conspiracy for an alleged plot to shut down the London Stock Exchange in January 2024, and an earlier arrest on May 15, 2023, during a protest commemorating the Nakba.

“We are not terrorists,” Middlebrough asserted. “When we witness a British-backed genocide of the Palestinian people, it is our moral duty to act against it. Some of my comrades from the Filton 24 are on an active hunger strike for immediate bail and a fair trial.”

Six Palestine Action campaigners have been on hunger strike since November 2, coinciding with the anniversary of the Balfour Declaration.

“They are the best of us, and we must rally behind their fight,” Middlebrough emphasized.

Ammori accused the British government of exploiting counterterrorism laws to suppress those seeking to prevent genocide while protecting “Israeli” war criminals.

“Neither Middlebrough nor the 32 others currently detained should be in prison,” she asserted.

Palestine Action is awaiting a judicial review of its proscription, set to be heard from November 25 to 27.