"Australian Weapons Trade with Israel Should Be Tried," says Juliet Lamont
On behalf of Juliet Lamont
Juliet Lamont
Key Facts:
Available for interview:
Juliet Lamont and supporters will be available for interview at 8:45am and 1:00pm on the steps of ACT Magistrates Court.
Media Advisory 4.8.26
Filmmaker and Flotilla Leader Juliet Lamont Faces Court Over Protest Targeting Australian Defence Company Linked to Israeli Weapons Systems
WHAT:
Filmmaker and Global Sumud Flotilla leader Juliet Lamont will appear in the ACT Magistrates Court on Tuesday 4 August 2026 over her role in a rooftop occupation of Australian defence company Electro Optic Systems (EOS). The protest targeted the company's R400 weapons system, which campaigners say has been publicly documented - through EOS shareholder reports and independent investigative journalism - as having been trialled by the Israeli military and demonstrated alongside Israel Aerospace Industries during what campaigners and a growing body of international opinion describe as an ongoing genocide in Gaza.
WHEN:
Tuesday 4 August 2026
8:30am – Supporter vigil (court steps)
9:30am – Court appearance
1:00pm - Interviews (court steps)
WHERE:
ACT Magistrates Court, Canberra
In July 2025, Ms Lamont and fellow campaigners occupied the roof of EOS in protest at the company's links to the Israeli military. While the Australian Government has repeatedly denied supplying weapons to Israel, campaigners say the public record tells a different story - and that Ms Lamont is now facing prosecution for drawing attention to it.
Juliet Lamont Quote: "Opposing genocide is not a crime. Selling the weapons that carry it out is."
Ms Lamont's court appearance comes months after she was forcibly seized at gunpoint by Israeli forces in international waters while attempting to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza aboard the Global Sumud Flotilla. Campaigners contend delivering aid is a legal and moral obligation, and preventing life-saving aid reaching a war zone is a war crime.
She has since given testimony to the Australian Federal Police, Reuters, Novara Media, and as part of evidence submitted to the International Criminal Court (ICC), alleging she was tortured and raped while in Israeli detention. Following those allegations, Foreign Minister Penny Wong told Parliament that she believed the flotilla participants. The Australian Federal Police has since confirmed it is investigating the allegations raised by Ms Lamont and the other ten Australian flotilla participants.
The protest targeted the company's R400 weapons system, which has been publicly documented - through EOS shareholder reports and independent investigative journalism - as having been trialled by the Israeli military and demonstrated alongside Israel Aerospace Industries during what campaigners and a growing body of international opinion describe as an ongoing genocide in Gaza.
Supporters say the contrast could not be starker: an Australian who was raped and tortured by a foreign state while attempting to deliver humanitarian aid is now back in court for protesting the Australian company whose weapons systems campaigners say helped arm that same military, while the company itself has faced no legal consequence.
Images available.
Contact details:
For extra images, factsheets or background, contact Jane Salmon: 0417919354.
