Declassified UK said they had been denied media accreditation for the biennial Defence and Security Equipment International (DSEI) fair at London’s ExCel Centre – despite having attended the last two events.
Although organisers banned Israeli government officials from attending, more than 50 Israeli companies are still being hosted at the fair.
The firms include Rafael, a missile manufacturer owned by the Israeli state, and Elbit, a private weapons firm which supplies 85% of the drones used in Gaza.
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DSEI is organised by the company Clarion Events, but it relies on close co-operation with the UK Government‘s Ministry of Defence (MoD), as well as the Foreign Office and trade department.
The fair was opened on Tuesday by the head of Britain’s military, Admiral Tony Radakin, with Defence Secretary John Healey and air force chief Richard Knighton due to give keynote speeches later in the week.
Declassified previously door-stopped all three men, questioning them over their intelligence support for Israel – which the media outlet said may have explained DSEI’s decision to block access.
In an article on Declassified’s website, the outlet said it was informed at 4.30pm on Monday by Clarion that its media accreditation request had been denied, although no reason was provided for the refusal.
Declassified first registered for the event in April, and said they had repeatedly chased the organiser.
It is understood that an investigative journalist from another media outlet was also denied access.
Press freedom groups criticised the decision to refuse accreditation, branding it “worrying” and “anti-democratic”.
Fiona O’Brien, UK director of Reporters Without Borders, said: “It is worrying to hear that journalists have been refused accreditation to a major arms fair without an explanation.
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“This denial of access is part of a wider trend we’ve observed in the UK, as people in positions of power increasingly seek to pick and choose who reports on their actions in the hope of skewing coverage in their favour.
“Let’s be clear: restricting the press is anti-democratic. It is absolutely right that one of the world’s biggest arms fairs should be open to media scrutiny, and to deny access to some journalists only suggests there is something to hide.”
Jamie Wiseman from the International Press Institute (IPI), a global media freedom organisation based in Vienna, said: “The last-minute refusal of media accreditation for Declassified UK to attend the DSEI in London, given the day before the start of the event without any justification or explanation, represents a clear and discriminatory obstruction of press freedom.
“IPI calls on the organisers of the DSEI UK 2025 to immediately review the decision, grant access to all professional media representatives, and to demonstrate greater respect both for transparency and the work of independent journalists reporting on the defence industry.”
It comes as protesters gathered outside the ExCel Centre on Tuesday to protest against the Israeli firms taking part.
Demonstrators chanted “shut it down”, waved Palestine flags and displayed signs, including one reading “only war criminals past this point” and a banner reading “stop arming Israel”.
The Metropolitan Police confirmed three people had been arrested for assaults on police officers.
