By Home Affairs Correspondent
A senior NHS doctor has warned that pro-Palestinian activists on hunger strike in prison face an imminent risk of death, as the UK experiences its largest coordinated hunger strike since the 1980s Irish hunger protests.
“The hunger strikers are dying,” said Dr James Smith, an NHS emergency physician, after assessing detainees at HMP Bronzefield. His warning comes as five remand prisoners continue to refuse food, while two others have recently ended their protest.
Supporters say the longest-serving hunger strikers have now gone without food for around 45 days — a claim not disputed by officials. Medical professionals have warned that starvation at this stage carries a serious risk of irreversible organ failure and death.
All of those involved are linked to Palestine Action , a direct-action group proscribed under terrorism legislation this summer. However, all of the hunger strikers were arrested before PA was proscribed,
Qesser Zuhrah, 20, who is held on remand at HMP Bronzefield, was transferred to hospital on December 18 after 47 days without food. Supporters said she was unable to stand and was experiencing acute cardiothoracic pain. She is among several detainees who have required hospital treatment during the protest.
Dr Smith is one of nearly 900 healthcare professionals who have signed a joint letter to ministers warning that the hunger strikers’ medical needs exceed the capacity of prison healthcare services. “The complexity of the hunger strikers’ care needs must now be managed with regular specialist input if not continuous monitoring in hospital,” he said.
Supporters confirmed that as of December 18, Jon Cink and Umer Khalid ended their hunger strikes after 41 days and 13 days respectively. Qesser Zuhrah and Amy Gardiner-Gibson are said to have refused food for 45 days, Heba Muraisi for 44 days, Teuta Hoxha for 38 days and Kamran Ahmed for 37 days. An eighth prisoner is described by supporters as intermittently joining the protest but breaking it due to an underlying health condition.
Some of the detainees have spent periods in hospital but have since been discharged or self-discharged, according to supporters.
Relatives of the detainees have raised alarm about their deteriorating health. Rahma Hoxha, sister of Teuta Hoxha, said: “The longer this goes on the scarier this gets. She said it feels as if the Government is trying to bury them alive.”
Shahmina Alam, sister of Kamran Ahmed, said: “His heart is giving in and his pulse is slowing down… so what are we waiting for?”
Protests in support of the hunger strikers have taken place outside HMP Bronzefield in Ashford, Surrey. On December 17, an ambulance attended the prison and videos posted on social media showed scuffles between protesters and police.
Surrey Police said officers were called after protesters “attempted to gain entry to restricted areas”. A member of prison staff was assaulted, police said, while officers tried to remove protesters from the building.
A 29-year-old man from Wellingborough was arrested on suspicion of assault occasioning bodily harm. A 28-year-old woman from Worcester Park was arrested on suspicion of assault causing grievous bodily harm, and a 28-year-old man from Glasgow was arrested on suspicion of criminal damage to a police vehicle.
“The protesters then blocked the road, delaying our ability to get medical assistance to the injured officer,” Surrey Police said.
A spokesperson for the South East Coast Ambulance Service declined to comment on whether the ambulance transported a protester to hospital.
The hunger strike began in November and involves people charged with alleged break-ins or criminal damage linked to Palestine Action. The charges are denied. All of the alleged incidents took place before the group was banned under terrorism legislation. Trials are not expected to take place until next year, with some scheduled as late as 2027.
Palestine Action was founded in 2020 and has targeted UK sites linked to Israeli defence firm Elbit Systems, claiming responsibility for more than 300 actions. The proscription criminalises support for the group and carries a potential sentence of up to 14 years in prison.
The detainees are calling for the ban to be lifted, bail to be granted, restrictions on communication to end, and Elbit’s UK operations to be shut down.
Speaking at Prime Minister’s Questions on December 17, Sir Keir Starmer said “rules and procedures” were being followed in relation to the hunger strike.
Former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn told the Commons that ministers had declined to meet the detainees’ representatives and that one of the group had been taken to hospital. “Many people are very concerned by the regular breaches of prison conditions and prison rules with respect to these hunger strikes,” he said.
In response, Sir Keir said: “He will appreciate there are rules and procedures in place in relation to hunger strikes, and we’re following those rules and procedures.”
Justice Minister Jake Richards said earlier that he would not meet the group’s lawyers and that the Ministry of Justice had “robust and proper guidance and procedures” in place. “I am satisfied, and the ministry is satisfied, that those procedures are being enacted and we’ll continue to keep it under review,” he said.
In a statement to The Muslim News a Ministry of Justice spokesperson said: “Prisoners’ wellbeing is continually assessed, and appropriate action is taken, including hospital treatment where required.” They added that His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service was managing food refusal cases in line with policy and with appropriate medical support.
Lawyers for the hunger strikers have repeatedly written to Deputy Prime Minister and Justice Secretary David Lammy requesting a meeting, warning of a “real and increasingly likely potential” that their clients could die as a result of the protest. Fifty-one MPs and peers have also written to Mr Lammy calling for engagement.
Amnesty International UK described the situation as “a shameful moment”. In a statement to The Muslim News Director of Campaigns, Kerry Moscogiuri, said, “This cruel misuse of terrorism legislation… stems from the gross misuse of counter-terrorism powers.” Amnesty said the detainees remain unconvicted but are being held in pre-trial detention “far exceeding the UK’s standard time limit”.
A High Court challenge to the proscription of Palestine Action remains ongoing.
Medical professionals have warned that as the hunger strike continues, the opportunity for effective intervention is narrowing.
[Photo: Palestine Action-linked hunger strikers: (Top: L-R) Qesser Zurah, Amu Gib & Heba Muraisi, (Bottom: L-R) Teuta Hoxha, Kamran Ahmed and Lewie Chiaramello. Photo Credit: Prisoners for Palestine]
