A qualified emergency physician has warned that eight Palestine Action activists on hunger strike in British prisons are "dying" and require urgent specialist medical intervention. Dr. James Smith made the stark assessment at a press conference in south London on Thursday, as some hunger strikers reach day 47 without food.
Prison authorities hold the activists on remand awaiting trial for alleged break-ins and criminal damage, and they are at the center of growing medical and political alarm. Dr. Smith, a lecturer at University College London, said: "The hunger strikers are dying." He added: "It is my view, as an NHS doctor, that the complexity of the hunger strikers' care needs must now be managed with regular specialist input if not continuous monitoring in hospital."
Almost 900 health professionals have written to Health Secretary Wes Streeting and prison officials demanding action. Separately, 51 MPs and peers, including 19 Labour MPs, have urged Justice Secretary David Lammy to meet with the prisoners' lawyers.
Critical Health Concerns
The deteriorating condition of the hunger strikers has prompted urgent warnings from medical professionals. Dr. Smith stated: "We are alarmed by accounts of substandard monitoring and treatment within the prison system." Authorities hospitalized some activists due to their condition.
Ambulance crews transferred one hunger striker, 20-year-old Qesser Zuhrah, from HMP Bronzefield to hospital yesterday after 47 days without food. Authorities dispatched medical transport only after supporters had protested for over 12 hours.
Family members described harrowing accounts of their relatives' conditions. Shahmina Alam, whose brother Kamran Ahmed is on day 39 of hunger strike, said: "His heart is giving in and his pulse is slowing down, he is losing half a kilogram every day." She added: "The justice system is hanging on a very thin thread."
Prison Treatment Allegations
Rahma Hoxha, sister of hunger striker Teuta Hoxha who is on day 40, reported disturbing treatment by prison staff. She said: "The prison guards called her a terrorist, even though she's on remand." Hoxha added: "She said it feels as if the Government is trying to bury them alive and for them to go quietly."
Dr. Smith condemned the treatment of hospitalized prisoners, stating: "The shackling of prisoners when in hospital, even when using toilet facilities, this is something I have never seen or experienced in my time as a medical professional."
Shahmina Alam described guards "double handcuffing" her brother to them during hospital visits. Guards force him to wear what she called a "ridiculous banana suit." She said: "He dreads the concept of being in a hospital room because that feels like a [worse] punishment to sitting in his cell. [...]"
Government Refuses to Engage
The government has rejected calls to meet with hunger strikers' representatives. Prisons minister Lord Timpson stated: "I am very clear. I don't treat any prisoners differently to others. That is why we will not be meeting any prisoners or their representatives."
He said the prison service is "very experienced" in managing hunger strikes, noting: "Unfortunately, over the last five years we have averaged over 200 hunger strike incidents every year and the processes that we have are well-established and they work very well. [...]"
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer previously told Parliament that "rules and procedures" are being followed. Former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, who attended Thursday's press conference, called on Lammy to "do what your job requires you to do, uphold the prison regulations and make contact with the representatives of the hunger strikers in order to save life. It is in your hands."
Extended Pre-Trial Detention
Prosecutors charge the eight activists with break-ins or criminal damage related to alleged actions against Elbit Systems facilities and RAF Brize Norton. Authorities accuse four of breaking into an Israeli-linked defense firm in 2024, with courts scheduling their trial for May next year. Authorities charge four others with breaking into RAF Brize Norton in June, allegedly causing millions of pounds in damage to jets.
Authorities have held some activists on remand for over 16 months, exceeding the UK's typical six-month pre-trial detention limit. Courts scheduled one activist's trial for 2027, meaning nearly two years of incarceration before facing a jury.
Experts believe the hunger strike, now in its second month, is the largest coordinated prison hunger strike in the UK in almost 45 years. The situation has drawn comparisons to the 1981 Irish Republican Army hunger strikes, in which ten men died.
The Ministry of Justice stated it cannot comment on individual cases but assured continual assessment of prisoners' wellbeing. A spokesperson said: "His Majesty's Prison and Probation Service has assured ministers that all cases of prisoner food refusal are being managed in accordance with the relevant policy. [...]"
Note: This article was created with Artificial Intelligence (AI).
