Two women affiliated with the pro-Palestine activist group Palestine Action have temporarily suspended a hunger strike that lasted nearly 50 days, citing severe deterioration in their health. The pair, however, have pledged to resume their protest in the New Year.
Health Deterioration Forces Temporary Halt
According to a statement from the support group Prisoners for Palestine, Qesser Zuhrah, 20, and Amu Gib, 30, have begun eating again after 48 and 49 days without food respectively. Both are being held on remand at HMP Bronzefield in Surrey, facing charges related to alleged break-ins and criminal damage on behalf of Palestine Action. They deny all charges and demand they be dropped.
The group was banned under terrorism legislation in July. The hunger strike was a protest against this ban and the charges. The pause follows allegations that Zuhrah was refused an ambulance for over 18 hours at the prison last week, sparking a protest attended by Coventry South MP Zarah Sultana. The Ministry of Justice has previously disputed claims of mistreatment.
Vows to Resume and Ongoing Strikes
In a defiant statement, Zuhrah said: “To our government, do not release your breath, because we will certainly return to battle you with our empty stomachs in the New Year... Our demands however remain inescapable, and this pause is your chance to meet them, to get it right, to stop arming and aiding this genocide.”
Gib echoed the sentiment, stating: “We have never trusted the government with our lives, and we will not start now... We are committed to the resistance of their script, not until Christmas, but for the rest of our lives.”
Four other detainees continue their hunger strikes: Kamran Ahmed, Heba Muraisi, Teuta Hoxha, and Lewie Chiaramello. On Tuesday, they issued a new set of demands, which include:
- Transferring Heba Muraisi back to HMP Bronzefield from HMP New Hall in West Yorkshire.
- Ending all non-association orders isolating prisoners from each other.
- Granting remand prisoners the same access to courses and activities as sentenced prisoners.
Government and Judicial Response
Lord Timpson, the minister for prisons, probation and reducing reoffending, addressed the situation. “While very concerning, hunger strikes are not a new issue for our prisons. Over the last five years, we’ve averaged over 200 a year and we have longstanding procedures in place to ensure prisoner safety,” he said.
He emphasised that prison healthcare provides NHS care and that claims hospital care is refused are “entirely misleading”. He stated firmly that ministers will not meet with the prisoners, citing the constitutional separation of powers and the independence of the judiciary. “These prisoners are charged with serious offences including aggravated burglary and criminal damage. Remand decisions are for independent judges,” he added.
Earlier this month, two other strikers, Jon Cink and Umer Khalid, ended their 41-day and 13-day hunger strikes for health reasons after being admitted to hospital.
