Lawyers representing eight remand prisoners linked to alleged Palestine Action offences are urging ministers to meet them urgently, warning that their clients are now at real risk of dying in custody.
A letter sent to Deputy Prime Minister and Justice Secretary David Lammy states that the health of the hunger strikers is deteriorating rapidly. According to the letter, two of the detainees have gone thirty seven days without food, while five have already spent time in hospital.
The group includes individuals charged with taking part in break ins or causing criminal damage at sites connected to Israeli defence companies. All eight deny the allegations. They were arrested before Palestine Action was eventually banned under terrorism legislation.
Four of the detainees are accused of involvement in a break in at an Israeli linked defence firm in 2024. Their earliest possible trial date is May of next year. The remaining four are accused of entering RAF Brize Norton in June and allegedly causing millions of pounds worth of damage to two military aircraft.
Supporters say six of the detainees began refusing food in early November. They include Kamran Ahmed, Teuta Hoxha, Qesser Zuhrah, Amy Gardiner Gibson, Heba Muraisi and Jon Cink. Ms Zuhrah and Ms Gardiner Gibson are said to have gone thirty eight days without eating as of Wednesday. The other four have each been on hunger strike for more than thirty days. Two additional prisoners awaiting trial in related cases have also begun refusing food over the past fortnight.
The lawyers warn in their letter that their clients’ conditions are worsening and that five have already required hospital treatment. They argue that the protest is centred on demands such as lifting the ban on Palestine Action and shutting down an Israeli linked defence company operating in the UK.
A judicial review is already under way after three High Court judges agreed to examine the legality of the ban. That decision followed a successful challenge by one of the organisation’s co founders.
The detainees say they have been denied bail and argue that the delays in bringing them to trial are unacceptable. Some are unlikely to be tried until 2027. Court hearings so far have taken place under the same processes used for other Crown Court defendants and have been observed by journalists.
The prisoners’ legal team says they are now considering legal action over what they believe are breaches of human rights. In their letter to Mr Lammy, they warn that the situation is becoming increasingly dangerous.
They write that their clients’ commitment to their protest is unwavering and that without urgent intervention there is a growing possibility that young British citizens could die in prison before being convicted of any offence. The lawyers ask for an immediate meeting in the hope of reaching a resolution before lives are lost.
Supporters claim that complaints have been submitted regarding the treatment of the detainees, though this has not been independently verified. The Prisons and Probation Ombudsman does not comment on individual complaints.
Although the Ministry of Justice has not commented directly on the letter, a spokesperson reiterated that the deputy prime minister is responding to correspondence and is being kept informed of developments. The spokesperson stressed that the wellbeing of prisoners is monitored continuously and that medical professionals decide when hospital treatment is required.
In Parliament, frustration is growing. Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle criticised the government for failing to respond to MPs who have asked for updates. John McDonnell said he had written to Lammy a week earlier without receiving any reply. Jeremy Corbyn told MPs that he had personally visited one of the hunger strikers and was deeply worried about their condition.
Sir Lindsay described the lack of ministerial response as unacceptable and said correspondence should be handled swiftly and effectively.
The Prison Service has said that it follows medical guidance at every stage and will always act when a prisoner’s health reaches a critical point.
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