Zahra Farooque and David Chmielewski

Zahra Farooque is a Research Officer at CAGE, where she focuses on issues of justice and human rights. Her activism began during the 2024 UCL student encampment and she has since remained deeply engaged with the movement. Zahra is one of the Filton 25, a group of activists accused of dismantling weapons at a facility operated by Elbit Systems, Israel’s largest arms manufacturer. Zahra is currently awaiting trial, scheduled to begin in September 2026.

David Chmielewski is a researcher focused on issues related to the national security state and the suppression of dissent in the United States. He worked with CAGE on a report detailing the Trump Administration's use of War on Terror policies in criminal law and immigration. He has an academic background in law and decolonial theory.