Press release: Defence Team of the Ulm 5 from 20th May 2026
Regional Court maintains unlawful seating arrangement
Defendants carried into the courtroom
Defence read opening statements
Today, 20th May 2026, marked the third day of the trial against the Ulm5, who are accused of causing property damage at the defence contractor Elbit Systems Deutschland in protest against the genocide in Gaza. The presiding judge once again insisted that the defendants be brought in handcuffs and follow the proceedings from the bulletproof glass chamber.
The defendants were no longer willing to accept this and sent a message directly to the presiding judge, stating that they refuse to actively participate in the trial as long as their rights under the European Convention on Human Rights are not upheld. They want to be able to next to their attorneys in order to have confidential communication, and they consider the glass booth they are confined in during the proceedings as prejudicial. Instead of accepting the offer to discuss the matter, the presiding judge instructed the court officers to carry the defendants into the courtroom.
Allegations rejected During the trial on 20th May, the defence read out their opening statements, explaining why the alleged act was justified as self-defence against genocide and vehemently rejecting the accusation of antisemitism.
Trial to resume on Friday, 22nd May 2026 at 9 a.m. The trial will resume this coming Friday, 22nd May 2026. The defendants will then have the opportunity to speak and present their own defence. We invite all members of the press and interested members of the public to attend the trial.
Who are the Ulm5? Five young people – students, artists, activists – from Ireland, the UK, Spain, and Germany who have spent years advocating for Palestinian rights through legal means. Their action on 8th September 2025, was an expression of deep moral conviction – civil disobedience directed exclusively against property in order to save human lives.
Defence team in Case No. 18 KLs 36 Js 123/25 Dr. Maja Beisenherz, München, Info@beisenherz.eu, 0177 / 70 95 812, Michael Brenner, Nürnberg, michael.brenner@anw-nbg.de, 0911 / 37 66 42 77, Mathes Breuer, München, breuer@kanzlei-abe.de, 0175 / 52 46 963, Anna Magdalena Busl, Bonn, busl@anwaltsbuero-bonn.de, 0176 / 23 23 32 35, Benjamin Düsberg, Berlin, mail@rechtsanwalt-duesberg.de, 0157 / 30 30 8383, Carolin Kaufmann, Berlin, kaufmann@akm-berlin.de, 0172 / 47 21 420, Rosa Mayer-Eschenbach, München, eschenbach@kanzlei-abe.de, 0176 / 65 35 94 43, Christina Mucha, Memmingen, info@kanzlei-mucha.de, 08331 / 69 08 136, Nina Onèr, Berlin, kanzlei@ninaoner.de, 01520 97 33 278, Matthias Schuster, Berlin, mail@anwalt-schuster.de, 0176 / 24 75 8230, Martina Sulzberger, Augsburg, kanzlei@anwaeltin-sulzberger.de, 0821 / 50 87 3850