Heba Muraisi and Kamran Ahmed, two alleged activists associated with Palestine Action who are awaiting trial, have ended a 73-day hunger strike while in prison on remand. Their protest concludes a longer series of actions by several detainees. Kamran Ahmed was reportedly taken to the hospital in a very poor condition on Wednesday.
Four other detainees—Teuta Hoxha, Jon Cink, Qesser Zuhrah, and Amy Gardiner-Gibson (also known as Amu Gib)—who began their strikes in early November, ceased their protests last month. A seventh detainee, who was refusing food every other day due to an underlying health condition, has also ended his protest. All hunger strikers are now receiving medical re-feeding treatment under doctors' supervision, consistent with guidelines for managing hunger strikes in prisons.
All detainees involved in the protest had objected to the length of their time on remand, which can extend up to a year due to court backlogs. During their protest, the group made five demands, including that the UK government lift the ban on Palestine Action, close an Israeli-owned defense firm, and address complaints about their prison conditions and treatment.
The ban on Palestine Action is currently under independent consideration by senior judges. Bail decisions are made by judges, not the government, and ministers have no role in who is remanded ahead of trial.
The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) did not comment on the action over the last two months but had not previously disputed accounts from supporters that the hunger strikes were occurring. The MoJ has vehemently denied claims of medical mistreatment. The Care Quality Commission (CQC), a watchdog, confirmed its experts spoke to medical staff at HMP Bronzefield, one of the prisons involved, but has not opened any investigation.
Ministers stated that neither they nor MoJ officials would meet the protesters. However, the government offered to facilitate a meeting between the protesters' representatives and medical professionals within the jails to brief them on the care being offered. The protesters accepted this offer two weeks after it was made.
Hunger strikes are considered part of the right to protest under human rights law. The state no longer has the power to forcibly feed a prisoner unless doctors conclude the individual lacks the mental capacity to understand the consequences of their actions. If a prisoner comprehends the risk of death and has made their wishes clear, doctors will not provide food, even if it would save their life.