Irish Members of Parliament (Teachta Dála, ‘TDs’) are set to observe trial on 22nd July. The following statement was released by the cross-party delegation:
Cross-party parliamentary delegation
17th July 2026
Cross-party parliamentary delegation will travel to Germany to observe trial of Irish citizen Daniel Tatlow-Devally and visit them in prison
Daniel is facing non-jury trial for protesting complicity in genocide
Delegation is calling for Irish government to send observers amid grave concerns about risk of an unfair trial
Next week, a cross-party parliamentary delegation will visit Irish citizen, Daniel Tatlow-Devally in prison in Stuttgart, Germany on Tuesday and will attend their trial on Wednesday.
Daniel and 4 other Palestine activists took part in a direct action at Elbit Systems in Ulm, Germany in September last year. Elbit Systems Germany is a 100% owned subsidiary of Elbit Israel, responsible for over 80% of the weapons used in the Gaza land war.
The “Ulm 5” engaged in an act of civil disobedience against the ongoing genocide in Gaza. There was no threat to anyone at any stage in their protest. They did not conceal their faces and did not run away.
Daniel has been detained in effective solitary confinement since September and is being tried under legislation and in conditions normally reserved for terrorism and organised crime.
Daniel, the others of the Ulm 5 and their families and supporters believe they are not receiving a fair trial. They are deeply concerned that no recording or transcript of the proceedings of the trial is being taken and that the Irish government has not yet sent any observer to the trial, despite repeated requests.
The Genocide Convention is an international treaty that criminalises genocide and obligates state parties to pursue the enforcement of its prohibition. Both Ireland and Germany are parties to the convention. The protestors were motivated by their conviction that providing weapons to Israel was in breach of the Genocide Convention.
The cross-party delegation is People Before Profit-Solidarity TD Richard Boyd Barrett, Sinn Féin MEP Lynn Boylan, People Before Profit-Solidarity TD Ruth Coppinger TD, Sinn Féin TD Mairéad Farrell, Labour Party TD Duncan Smith, Social Democrats Senator Patricia Stephenson, and Fine Gael TD Barry Ward.
On Tuesday, Richard Boyd Barrett and Mairéad Farrell will visit Daniel in prison where the Ulm 5 are being held in inhumane conditions and effective solitary confinement. The full cross-party delegation will attend the trial early on Wednesday morning in Stuttgart.
The primary purpose of this delegation is to provide independent trial observation in the absence of any trial observation from the Irish consulate or Department of Foreign Affairs. We are calling on the Irish government to send observers to the hearings, which are set to continue until January of next year while all the defendants remain in high security prisons.
Richard Boyd Barrett TD said:
“I'm involved in organising this cross-party visit to observe the trial of Irish citizen Daniel Tatlow-Devally, whose family lives in my constituency, and the Ulm 5 in Germany, because all accounts of their treatment and of the trial suggest they are not getting a fair trial and that we are witnessing a travesty of justice.
“On several occasions, on behalf of Daniel's family, I have raised grave concerns with the government about the nature of the prosecution and trial of Daniel and the Ulm 5 and called on the government to send observers to the trial.
“As a cross-party group, we are now trying to do what the government should be doing by going ourselves to witness what is happening. We hope this will prompt the government to urgently send observers to the rest of the trial and put some pressure on the German authorities to ensure the rights of the defendants to a fair trial are upheld.
“It is in my view absolutely outrageous that the Ulm 5 are being treated and tried in inhumane conditions, and under laws and in a manner normally reserved for terrorists and organised criminals. The defendants are not hiding that they engaged in an act of civil disobedience, but they are a danger to no one.
“They were protesting against a company in Germany producing weapons used by Israel to prosecute what the Irish government itself has said is a genocidal and illegal campaign against Gaza and the Palestinian people. The Irish government needs to stand up for the rights of an Irish citizen, and the basic right to a fair trial.”
Lynn Boylan MEP said:
“I am travelling to attend the trial of the Ulm 5 because it is essential that this trial is monitored and the manner in which it is being held is reported on.
“All citizens in the EU are entitled to a fair trial that is held in an open, fair and transparent manner. Yet across Europe, we are seeing a roll back on fundamental rights of citizens because of their solidarity with Palestine.”
Ruth Coppinger TD said:
"I am attending the trial of the Ulm 5 because I am horrified at the treatment of the accused in solitary confinement and at the conduct of their trial. We cannot allow the German authorities -- who are profoundly pro-Israeli -- to try these young, antigenocide activists without due process.
“For an EU state to run a trial without any official verbatim record, without proper access to translation and to confer with their own legal team is an outrage. The Irish government should be present and demand a stenographer and a fair trial for Irish citizen, Daniel Tatlow-Devally."
Mairéad Farrell TD said:
"This Dáil delegation is very important because we will be there to witness the trial of the Ulm 5 and of Irish citizen Daniel Tatlow-Devally. Repeatedly we see the value of international observation in facilitating transparency which is paramount in this case.
“The human rights of the Ulm 5 must be paramount in the ongoing legal proceedings. I am aware of concerns raised around their rights both within the trial process and conditions under which they are detained within the prison system.
“I will also be visiting Daniel in the prison in Ulm, alongside some colleagues, and look forward to engaging with them."
Duncan Smith TD said:
“We have huge concern as to the welfare and treatment of Daniel and this is evident by the widespread, cross party support for their plight. It is vital that all human rights standards and conditions are upheld."
Senator Patricia Stephenson said:
“We’ve made the decision to travel to Germany to observe the trial of the Ulm 5 because of the serious reports about how Daniel, an Irish citizen, has been treated while in pre-trial detention and how this case is being handled. I believe it is important that the proceedings are subject to independent international observation.
“Under the EU Human Rights Defenders Guidelines, all EU member states have a role to play in trial observation of HRDs. I’m shocked that the Irish government has failed to conduct trial observation given the serious reports we have heard about Daniel spending significant time in isolation, during prolonged pre-trial detention, and reports from defence lawyers of the risk of an unfair trial.
“It is alleged that Daniel, and other members of the Ulm 5, caused damage to property. They are not charged with threatening or causing any physical harm to any people. I am very concerned by the fact that Daniel has not been granted bail, has been held in detention since September and the punitive conditions they have endured while detained.
“We’re travelling together as a cross-party group as independent observers to underscore the importance of fair and transparent legal proceedings, and to reaffirm that respect for international human rights standards is fundamental to the administration of justice.”