News|Israel-Palestine conflict‘Increasingly likely potential’ of Palestine Action hunger strikers dyingLawyers and relatives of the remand prisoners refusing food fear for their lives as they seek meeting with top minister.
London, United Kingdom – Eight individuals associated with the protest group Palestine Action are currently on hunger strike across five prisons in the UK. These individuals are part of a group of 29 remand prisoners linked to alleged break-ins at the UK…
London, United Kingdom – Eight individuals associated with the protest group Palestine Action are currently on hunger strike across five prisons in the UK. These individuals are part of a group of 29 remand prisoners linked to alleged break-ins at the UK subsidiary of Israeli defense firm Elbit Systems and a Royal Air Force base in Oxfordshire. Five of the hunger strikers have been hospitalized. Two individuals have been refusing food for 44 days.
The protestors are demanding immediate bail, a fair trial, and the de-proscription of Palestine Action. They also call for the closure of all Elbit sites.
Kamran Ahmed, one of the hunger strikers, was arrested in November 2024 and is charged with aggravated burglary, criminal damage, and violent disorder. He has been in prison for over 20 months, pending his trial set for June 2026. Ahmed has experienced significant weight loss and high ketone levels, indicating severe health risks.
Legal representatives of the detained individuals have requested an urgent meeting with the Justice Secretary, David Lammy, to address the situation, warning of the potential for fatalities among the prisoners. The Ministry of Justice has not yet responded to these requests.
London, United Kingdom – Eight individuals associated with the protest group Palestine Action are currently on hunger strike across five prisons in the UK.
The current hunger strike is reportedly the largest coordinated protest of its kind in UK prisons since 1981. Activists argue that the UK government is complicit in international conflicts, specifically citing Israeli actions in Gaza.
Qesser Zuhrah and Amu Gib, the first two to begin the hunger strike, have experienced significant weight loss and health issues, including hospitalizations due to deteriorating conditions. Zuhrah has lost consciousness recently, while Gib requires a wheelchair due to exhaustion.
Amnesty International UK has called for the allegations of a 'terrorism connection' to be dropped and for an end to what they describe as excessively lengthy pre-trial detention.
Further pressure is being placed on the Justice Secretary following a public confrontation by Shahmina Alam, Ahmed's sister, who presented a letter to Lammy at a public event, expressing concern over the lack of engagement from the authorities.
Based on reporting by Al Jazeera.
