THE TRIAL OF an Irish man and four other activists accused of breaking into a German subsidiary of an Israeli arms company was postponed on its opening day following a dispute in court over conditions for the defendants.

Daniel Tatlow-Devally, from Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown, is one of five Berlin-based activists charged with trespass, property damage and membership of a criminal organisation in connection with an incident at Elbit Systems Deutschland in Ulm in September 2025.

According to a spokesperson for Irish Bloc Berlin (IBB), a German-based pro-Palestinian solidarity group supporting the accused, defence lawyers objected at the outset of proceedings to the defendants being held behind a glass partition in the courtroom, where communication with their legal teams was limited to microphones and headsets.

The IBB spokesperson said lawyers had requested that the five be allowed to sit with them in court, arguing that the arrangement restricted effective and continuous communication.

They said the judge indicated that such requests would be dealt with after the formal reading of charges.

Onlookers pictured in the court room. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo

They further claimed that courtroom microphones were not activated during parts of the exchanges, which they said made it difficult for the defendants to clearly follow proceedings.

Following a period of back-and-forth between the judge and defence lawyers, the court took a break for several hours. When proceedings were due to resume, the trial was postponed until next Monday.

Tatlow-Devally and the other accused have been held in pre-trial detention for more than seven months.

Defence lawyers have previously described them as human rights activists, while family members have raised concerns about their treatment and the conditions of their detention.

During his court appearnace today, a solidarity rally was held in Stuttgart.

A solidarity rally held in Stuttgart today. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo

A demonstration also took place outside the German Embassy in Booterstown in Dublin to show solidarity with the activists.

Elbit Systems is Israel’s largest defence manufacturer and a major supplier to the Israeli military. It produces around 85% of the Israeli army’s land-based equipment and drones.

The facility in Ulm is operated by a German subsidiary of the company.