This episode is a recording of a press conference that took place at the European Parliament on 9 July 2026 regarding the current trial in Germany of the activists who have become known as the Ulm5.

The Berlin-based activists –Daniel, Crow, Leandra, Zo and Vi –were arrested on 8 September 2025 in connection with an action at Elbit Systems in Ulm, Germany. The aim of the action was to damage equipment and disrupt the flow of arms to Israel and stop the genocide in Gaza. Defence lawyers intend to call genocide scholars, arms industry experts, and medical personal who have been in Gaza as expert witnesses, and have also raised multiple concerns about the trial.

For context, there is no jury; the main judge with two subordinate judges and two lay judges will determine the verdict. No full transcript of trial of the trial is being made; the only official record is the 'Protokoll' whose contents are determined by the judge; it is a record of what she considers to be relevant.

The trial is taking place in Stammheim, the high-security prison prison complex outside Stuttgart, a venue normally used for cases involving terrorism etc., that has become synonymous in Germany with the 1970s trials of the RAF (so-called Baader-Meinhof gang).

The defendants are isolated from their defence lawyers behind a thick security glass enclosure, making unhindered and confidential communication between them impossible, breaching their ECHR Article 6 fair trial rights.

The judge has denied permission for the defence team to have a note taker to make their own transcript of the trial; or to allow an audio recording.

Members of the public are not allowed to take notes – as the judge claims they would use pens as weapons (although the public is behind security glass and surrounded by police).

The activists are led into court each day in handcuffs.

This is a case of property damage only – no harm came to any persons, nor is any alleged by the prosecution.

The defendants have been in pre-trial detention since their arrest. Four are held in cells for 20 to 23 hours per day, some of them in single cells.

Long-form interview with Ulm5 defence lawyer Benjamin Düsberg with English subtitles: https://youtu.be/YmUz2qWNhyQ

A transcript of the interview in English is available here: https://ulm5.info/en/news/2026/06/04/duesberg-interview-99-zu-eins-en

Further information is also available at https://ulm5.info/en/