Wellington animal welfare activist Mark Eden is due to appear in court today charged with burglary over a raid on Turk's Poultry Farm in Foxton to "liberate" 20 hens.
Eden said battery cages were cruel and should be banned, and that had been accepted by a parliamentary committee but then not enforced.
The raid was conducted by a team of about 10 who adopted the seized hens.
Eden said he would argue before a jury in Palmerston North District Court that he was "mitigating suffering, not stealing property".
He welcomed his arrest in November 2006 saying it would bring more publicity to the cause.
Several copycat raids were carried out around Auckland and Christchurch over the following months.
