Overview
- Counter Terrorism Policing South East confirmed officers arrested 21-year-old Qesser Zuhrah at her Watford home Monday, and Hertfordshire Police said she remains in custody on suspicion of encouraging crime and terrorism.
- Video shared online shows masked officers citing Section 44 of the Serious Crime Act and Section 1 of the Terrorism Act during the arrest, and police said they are looking into why masks were used.
- Campaigners supporting Zuhrah say the arrest followed an Instagram story that allegedly urged people to take “direct action.”
- Zuhrah spent about 15 months on remand as one of the “Filton 24” accused over an August 2024 raid on an Elbit Systems UK site, and she was released on bail in February after aggravated-burglary charges were dropped.
- The arrest comes as the government appeals a High Court ruling that found its 2025 ban of Palestine Action unlawful, while advocacy groups argue using terrorism laws for activist posts chills dissent and free expression.