Ireland urged to put pressure on Germany over pro-Palestinian activist’s trial

What Happened

A cross-party delegation of Irish politicians attended the Stuttgart trial of the 'Ulm 5' — activists charged with trespassing, property destruction, and membership in a criminal organisation after breaking into an Elbit Systems site in Ulm, Germany, in September 2024. The group allegedly caused €1m in damage to equipment while protesting German arms supplies to Israel. Mairéad Farrell of Sinn Féin and colleagues visited Irish defendant Daniel Tatlow-Devally in prison, where Farrell said he is held 23 hours a day in a 5×2 metre cell with only one hour of visitation per month. The delegation criticised the trial's use of a glass wall that they claim hinders communication with lawyers and called on Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin to raise the detention conditions and legal access concerns with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz during Merz's visit to Dublin on Tuesday. They also urged Dublin to send regular observers to the proceedings, which are expected to conclude in January.

Key Actors

Why It Matters

The trial underscores the legal and diplomatic friction over European arms production for Israel amid the Gaza war. Germany is the second-largest arms supplier to Israel after the US, and the activists explicitly targeted Elbit to disrupt those supplies. The Irish government's potential intervention, during its EU presidency, could strain bilateral ties or set a precedent for European states publicly criticising each other's handling of pro-Palestinian activism. The case also tests how broadly terrorism or organised crime charges are applied to protest actions with a trans-national dimension.

Watch For

Whether Taoiseach Micheál Martin raises the Ulm 5 case with Chancellor Merz during the July visit, any follow-up dispatch of Irish observers to Stuttgart, and the court's response to continued complaints about the glass wall restricting legal representation. Also monitor the trial's timeline — a verdict is anticipated in January — and whether the Irish delegation's planned return before its conclusion yields further political or diplomatic moves.