UK Under Fire as Six Palestine Action Prisoners Face Death Risk
The six individuals—all awaiting trial on charges ranging from aggravated burglary to criminal damage—have gone without sustenance for multiple weeks, according to their advocates.
Two additional strikers were recently hospitalized, escalating concerns that the protest could turn deadly, supporters report.
Mothin Ali, co-deputy leader of the Green Party, characterized the circumstances as having reached a crisis point.
"These prisoners are now seriously ill. Amu Gib is on day 50 of their hunger strike while Kamran Ahmed is on day 42. After this length of time without food, they are at very high risk of organ failure, irreversible neurological damage and death," Ali told media.
He blamed officials for inaction, stating: "This horrific situation could have been prevented if ministers had agreed to meet with representatives of the hunger strikers and hear their concerns and demands."
The detainees are demanding immediate release on bail, cessation of alleged communication restrictions, access to impartial legal proceedings, the delisting of Palestine Action as a proscribed organization, and the shutdown of Elbit Systems' operations within Britain.
Elbit, a defense contractor headquartered in Israel, manufactures most of Israel's unmanned aerial vehicle fleet and ground-based weaponry while maintaining multiple production sites across the UK.
Ali stated it was "a terrible indictment of this government's failure that these prisoners feel forced into using the only tool they have left – their own bodies – to draw attention to the injustices and maltreatment they are experiencing."
During a Downing Street press briefing, Prime Minister Keir Starmer's spokesperson confirmed no ministerial meetings with striker representatives were scheduled.
Though acknowledging the circumstances as "very concerning," the spokesperson noted hunger strikes were "not a new issue for our prisons," pointing out over 200 occur annually on average based on the previous five years' data.
Prison medical staff are delivering NHS-standard treatment while "continuously monitoring the situation," the spokesperson emphasized, dismissing allegations that hospital treatment was being denied as "entirely misleading."
Jeremy Corbyn, among multiple parliamentarians advocating for government action, has called on chief inspector of prisons Charlie Taylor to intervene amid mounting pressure regarding the detainees' deteriorating health.
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