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Prisoners for Palestine hunger striker, Heba Muraisi, is experiencing uncontrollable muscle spasms which could indicate neurological damage, and breathing difficulties, as she continues her open-ended hunger strike.  

Muraisi became the longest serving hunger striker, today reaching 64 days of hunger striking which she began on 3rd November 2025. When speaking with Prisoners for Palestine, Muraisi described that she was “experiencing muscle spasms and twitches in her arm” as well as “feeling like she is holding her breath and doesn’t know why, like she has to remind herself to breathe”. 

Muraisi has maintained that she will not end her hunger strike until the prison agrees to a move back to HMP Bronzefield: she was transferred abruptly from HMP Bronzefield to HMP New Hall, which is hundreds of miles away from her family and support system, late last year. Heba Muraisi has been held on remand for over a year for Palestine based activism, exceeding standard UK custody limits, and is also demanding for immediate bail as part of her set of demands to end the hunger strike, of which none have yet been met. She is now on her third month of hunger strike with an unwavering commitment to ensure these demands are met. 

A second hunger striker, Kamran Ahmed, has been hospitalised for the fifth time since being on hunger strike last week. Ahmed reported he was double cuffed during his entire hospital stay, which left his wrists swollen. Healthcare staff found it extremely difficult to cannulate him due to the effect the hunger strike has had on his body, causing his veins to shrink and become very hard to find. 

Medical experts have expressed concern over this treatment, which he has consistently faced during repeated hospitalisations. Ahmed has reported intermittent hearing loss as he enters day 57 of hunger striking, reaching a critical point where irreversible physical damage is very likely. 

Although she has been unable to visit Heba, in a letter addressed to her, her mother, Dunya, wrote: “We are here behind you, supporting you and loving you without limits. No matter how long the night of waiting lasts, the sun of freedom will surely rise”.

An announcement was made today by Prisoners for Palestine stating that T Hoxha has paused her hunger strike after receiving various demands, including a backlog of mail as far back as six months being handed over, a book with an apology for the delay, and a visit confirmed with a member of the Joint Extremism Unit (JEXU) to discuss her individual prison conditions. Since ending her hunger strike on Saturday evening, the prison have refused to send her to hospital despite requests as she is unable to safely manage refeeding, which could cause refeeding syndrome. 

Despite the critical urgency of the situation, where organ failure, paralysis, brain damage, and sudden death are all becoming increasingly more likely, the British government continues to refuse to meet with the hunger strikers and their representatives, putting their lives at risk. 

A statement from Francesca Nadin, a spokesperson for Prisoners for Palestine, states:

“As the hunger strike enters its third month, those still on hunger strike continue to deteriorate, and grave danger looms over them. Despite this, they continue firm in their actions and beliefs, that continuing to strike is the only way to get justice in the face of the government’s contempt for life”. 

Heba Muraisi is on day 56 of her hunger strike. She is demanding to be moved back to HMP Bronzefield.

Heba is left feeling isolated as she has been moved miles away from her family and community in Brent, London. The journey is too far for her family. Her mum is unable to travel the 178 miles from London to Wakefield due to health conditions, and hasn’t seen her daughter in over 4 months.

Regardless, visits are rarely approved in HMP New Hall. Even loved ones that are able to travel haven’t been able to visit Heba.

Take Action

Contact HMP Bronzefield today and demand they accept the transfer request. Contact details below:

01784 425690: Main number

01932 232300: Alternative phone number

charlotte.wilson@sodexogov.co.uk

bf.correspondence@sodexogov.co.uk

bfsafercustody@sodexogov.co.uk

socialvisits.bronzefield@sodexojusticeservices.com

HMPPSPublicEnquiries@justice.gov.uk

GENEVA – UN experts* today expressed grave concern for the lives and fundamental rights of eight pro-Palestinian activists imprisoned in the United Kingdom, who have been on indefinite hunger strike since 2 November.

“Hunger strike is often a measure of last resort by people who believe that their rights to protest and effective remedy have been exhausted,” the experts said.

As they enter the second month of their strike, the health of the pro-Palestinian detainees has reportedly deteriorated significantly, placing them at critical risk of serious complications, including organ failure, irreversible neurological damage, cardiac arrhythmias and death.

“The State’s duty of care toward hunger strikers is heightened, not diminished,” the experts said. “Authorities must ensure timely access to emergency and hospital care when clinically indicated, refrain from actions that may amount to pressure or retaliation, and respect medical ethics.”

The expert recalled that respect for the right to health is applicable to everyone, including persons deprived of their liberty. They stressed that States must respect individual autonomy, ensure continuous, independent medical monitoring, provide accurate information about health risks, and take all necessary steps to protect life and prevent irreversible harm, without resorting to coercive or punitive measures.

They also expressed concerns regarding the treatment of the hunger strikers, including reported delays in accessing medical care, use of excessive restraint during hospital treatment, denial of contact with family members and legal counsel, and lack of consistent independent medical oversight, particularly for detainees with serious pre-existing health conditions.

“These reports raise serious questions about compliance with international human rights law and standards, including obligations to protect life and prevent cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment,” the experts said.

They have previously raised concerns with the UK Government regarding the application of counter-terrorism and security frameworks to acts of political protest that are not genuinely terrorist according to international standards, and warned against the criminalisation of conduct that falls within the protected exercise of the rights to freedom of assembly, association, and expression, and the suppression of legitimate political dissent, including advocacy related to Palestine.

The experts have also expressed serious concern as to the overbreadth of the definition of terrorism under UK law, the proscription of Palestine Action under the Terrorism Act 2000, and the subsequent mass arrests and criminal charges, including terrorism-related offenses, brought against individuals for alleged support for Palestine Action.

“These hunger strikes must be understood within the broader context of restrictions on pro-Palestinian activism in the UK,” the experts said, noting that the detainees are held in connection with protest-related activity.

They urged the United Kingdom to immediately guarantee appropriate healthcare for all hunger strikers, and engage in meaningful dialogue and action to address not only the claims of the protestors, but also underlying rights violations, and an end to the repression of Palestine activism.

“Preventable deaths in custody are never acceptable. The State bears full responsibility for the lives and wellbeing of those it detains,” the experts said. “Urgent action is required now.”

The experts stand ready to engage constructively with the UK Government and will continue to monitor the situation closely.

*The experts:

• Gina Romero, the Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association
• Tlaleng Mofokeng, the Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
• Cecilia M. Bailliet, the Independent Expert on human rights and international solidarity
• George Katrougalos, the Independent expert on the promotion of a democratic and equitable international order
• Ben Saul, the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism
• Irene Khan, the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression
• Francesca Albanese, the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territory occupied since 1967

On Friday 19th December, Qesser Zuhrah made the decision to pause her hunger strike after 48 days of refusing food. She was joined by Amu Gib, who began re-feeding after 49 days of hunger striking. This decision comes after Zuhrah was refused an ambulance for over 18 hours overnight by HMP Bronzefield, putting her life in danger, and fuelling protests outside the prison including one MP, Zarah Sultana, refusing to leave until Qesser was provided with an ambulance. 

Both Qesser Zuhrah and Amu Gib are being held on remand at HMP Bronzefield. The decision to end the strike came after Qesser experienced continuous excruciating pain in her abdomen whilst Amu experienced severe weakness, and brain fog which left them wheelchair bound. 

Four others, Kamran Ahmed, Heba Muraisi, Teuta Hoxha and Lewie Chiaramello are still on hunger strike, despite Kamran being hospitalised for the third time since being on hunger strike. Heba Muraisi has stated she will not end her hunger strike unless she is moved back to HMP Bronzefield where she was initially held before being abruptly moved to HMP New Hall, miles away from her family and support system. Today, Teuta Hoxha was denied bail on compassionate grounds. Lewie Chiaramello continues to fast intermittently despite being type 1 diabetic, which is having an impact on his health in a critical way as he experiences confusion, dizziness, and weakness. 

Alhough the number of hunger strikers have decreased, the hunger strikers have began legal proceedings against David Lammy, citing a violation of government policies on hunger striking as well as a lack of response to the hunger strikers, despite sending multiple letters to the Secretary of State. The letter, dispatched on Monday, outlines the group’s intention to pursue legal action, citing the government’s alleged abandonment of its own prison safety policy framework. The letter demands a response within 24 hours, stressing that the issue is a “matter of urgency” as “our clients’ health continues to deteriorate, such that the risk of their dying increases every day.” The letter is the latest move in an attempt to engage with the government to open negotiations. 

A spokesperson for Prisoners for Palestine said:

“The remaining four will continue to refuse food on the basis of the five demands, as well as specifying their demands to include  the end of all non association orders between prisoners; Heba’s transfer back to HMP Bronzefield; and the same access to all courses and activities as sentenced prisoners. Non association orders are used to further isolate prisoners from each other despite being in the same prison; just as Heba has been moved across the country, away from her family and friends in London. Due to the extended period of time on remand, well over the usual six month legal limit, it is only fair that the prisoners are able to access the same activities as everyone else”

Upon ending the hunger strike, Qesser Zuhrah stated:

“To our Government, do not release your breath, because we will certainly return to Battle you with our Empty Stomachs in the New Year, when you have shamefully returned from your blood-soaked break, to the theatrics of your ‘democracy’. 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, otherwise you will force us to return to confront you with our breaths, which will be far more disastrous and dangerous than this first time”

Amu Gib released the following statement:

“ We have never trusted the government with our lives, and we will not start now. There will be no turkey dinner and break in the Zionist programme of genocide. We are committed to the resistance of their script, not until Christmas, but for the rest of our lives…

 We will be the ones to decide how we give our lives to justice and liberation.”

To the Right Honourable David Lammy MP

102 Petty France
London
SW1H 9AJ
22 December 2025

Re: Urgent concern – medical neglect and mistreatment of hunger strikers on remand

Dear David Lammy and Ministry of Justice,

I am writing as the loved one of Amu Gib, who is now on day 51 of their hunger strike while on remand for actions relating to Palestine Action. I write in deep fear for their life, and in outrage at the medical neglect, performative cruelty, and bureaucratic indifference they and others have faced under your department’s care.

This whole journey over the past six to seven weeks has not been easy. We have not slept. We have been terrified that they may die.

At the beginning of the hunger strike, the prison simply refused to acknowledge it for the first 10 days. This is dangerous, as there are specific rules that govern hunger strikes: daily GP appointments, regular checks of vitals, provision and monitoring of electrolytes, and thiamine supplementation. All of these were withheld for at least the first 10 days.

Over the past weeks, I have seen and documented repeated refusals by hospitals to admit or treat them adequately – from Kamran to Qesser to Umer – each of them non-white and Muslim prisoners, each handcuffed while their bodies waste away. Even when hospitalised, they have been kept in restraints for over 24 hours at a time. This shackling, when met with the visible frailty of starvation, is an act of deliberate humiliation. The imprint of those cuffs has become a mark of state cruelty – a scar that tells of how the system treats protesters for Palestine.

They are not a flight risk; they are so weak that Amu now needs a wheelchair to move around the prison. There is no justification for handcuffing them while hospitalised. They have received inadequate medical observation. On day 45 of the hunger strike, the prison had run out of electrolytes. Their pain has been repeatedly dismissed and disbelieved.

Repeated requests for intervention have been dismissed or ignored – from David Lammy, Jake Richards, Keir Starmer, and Lord Timpson, among others. The refusal to act, or even to acknowledge this neglect, highlights an institutional lack of care and a racialised hierarchy of whose suffering counts.

Three weeks ago, when my friend was at a critical stage, David Lammy claimed not to know about it. In those three weeks, we have been laughed out of meetings and brushed off by Labour MPs when we tried to have this raised in Parliament. This is astonishing cruelty.

These people are on remand – not convicted, still awaiting full legal process. They are weak, in pain, and visibly wasting away. The absence of adequate medical observation or humane treatment under prison or hospital care is not only unacceptable; it breaches fundamental rights to health, dignity, and life.

Our demands are simple, clear, and urgent:

1. End all censorship

Prisoners must be able to send and receive communications without restriction, surveillance, or interference from the prison administration. Freedom of expression is a fundamental human right, especially for those already silenced by incarceration. Letters, phone calls, political statements, books, and all other forms of communication must be respected and protected.

2. Immediate bail

All hunger strikers must be released from custody while awaiting trial. Holding people on indefinite remand is an abuse of power, used to punish before conviction. Some have been imprisoned for nearly two years without trial. The right to a fair trial also means the right to prepare for it in freedom.

3. Right to a fair trial

All relevant documents related to these cases must be released in full, including meetings between British and Israeli state officials, the British police, the Attorney General, and Elbit Systems’ representatives. The public has the right to know what arms are being manufactured and exported from the UK, especially when they are used to commit atrocities.

4. Deproscribe Palestine Action

All terror-related charges and “links” — and the use of the Prevent strategy against activists — must be dropped. Direct action is not terrorism. It is a legitimate, moral response when formal political channels fail. We also call for a public apology from Yvette Cooper for her smear campaign falsely depicting Palestine Action as violent or foreign-funded.

5. Shut Elbit down

The British government must end all contracts with Elbit Systems, Israel’s largest weapons company, and permanently close its UK sites and subsidiaries. No taxpayer money should fund weapons used in genocide. The proposed £2.7 billion Ministry of Defence contract with Elbit must be cancelled.

It is terrifying to write this letter knowing a loved one is dying in plain sight while the state looks away. The silence from Parliament – from those we approached in good faith – compounds the fear and isolation families like mine endure. We are left begging the very institutions responsible for this cruel neglect to intervene before it becomes fatal.

I call on you, urgently, to act – to ensure these people are treated as human beings, not hostages.

Their lives depend on immediate and humane action.

Yours sincerely,
Nida Jafri, Loved one of Amu Gib

---

To the Right Honourable David Lammy MP

102 Petty France
London
SW1H 9AJ
22 December 2025

Re: Urgent concern – medical neglect and mistreatment of hunger strikers on remand

Mr. LAMMY has recently and regularly employed the aphorism that ‘Justice delayed is justice denied. ‘

It is therefore utterly astonishing that he has been unwilling so far to address a stark and stunning example of this by meeting himself the relatives and friends of those severely impacted by a broken criminal justice system. A system which has presently accumulated a backlog of 17,700 cases on remand most of whom are awaiting trial and prison population of 88,000 against a capacity of 88,980. This inattention to the domestic system of justice is matched by successive governments inattention to international justice and the rule of law especially in relation to the Middle East which is the very point at the heart of the original protest and for which there is no accountability let alone a night in Wandsworth prison!

Currently fundamental human rights in the United Kingdom are being destroyed in this quagmire of disinterest and populist politics. The most important being the presumption of innocence and the right to a fair trial by means of preparation and due process. There has to be an equality of arms which can hardly be achieved when a defendant is held in oppressive and lengthy periods of remand. As the families graphically describe the plight being suffered is that of a hostage.

The usual mantra of not turning up for trial or continuing activity – reasons often provided by the state – can be addressed and contained in all but the most exceptional cases where there is evidence to the contrary in the past.

This predicament derives from gross Government inaction – a basic lack of resourcing and investment accompanied by a disingenuous unwillingness to uphold the rights which are at the core of a democratic way of life.

In no way can juries be blamed let alone those who end up as prisoners.

Government takes action when it chooses to (early release programme) and there could be no more appropriate time than now with the life endangering protest by the hunger strikers. The delay is grotesque in some cases up to two years with trial dates being set in 2027. For the acquitted this means they will have served in essence a 4- or 5-year prison sentence allowing for remission. A true example of the words of Lewis Carroll uttered in the trial of the knave by the Queen of Hearts ‘Sentence first verdict afterwards ‘

The remand conditions are almost worse than those for the convicted. In any one day there can be 23 hours of lock up. Some have been denied access to relatives with restrictions on communication and religious observation and additionally access to books. The physical and psychological restrictions therefore over the extensive periods waiting for trial are not conducive to a fair trial which itself can last some weeks and often involve important points of human rights law.

Time for Mr LAMMY to remove his head from the sand and start taking sensible steps towards a fair and proportionate resolution. Otherwise, Mr. LAMMY and justice remain just a bunch of ruffled feathers!

Michael Mansfield KC
22 Dec 2025

Today, Prisoners for Palestine held a press conference with medical experts, legal experts, MPs and families and loved ones of the hunger strikers, to urge the government to intervene as the hunger strike campaign reaches a critical point.

Doctors

Dr James Smith, A&E doctor and Lecturer at UCL, discussed an open letter spearheaded by him in order to pressure the government’s intervention in the case. On 17th December 2025, a letter was signed by over 800 doctors addressing David Lammy to urge him to intervene in the case of the hunger strikers currently on day 47 of hunger strike. The letter, detailing medical neglect and ‘grave concern’ over the hunger strikers’ health states, “They are at very high risk of serious complications, including organ failure, irreversible neurological damage, cardiac arrythmias, and death.” The letter details individual hunger strikers and the timeline of neglect faced alongside inadequacies surrounding medical intervention upon emergency responses and goes on to address commissioning teams, clinical leads and governance teams within the NHS and healthcare system, advising that, “The undersigned, call on all parties in positions of responsibility and authority, to act immediately to resolve this inherently dangerous and fragile situation, and  safeguard the health and lives of the hunger strikers”. This letter comes after the emergency situation yesterday, where 20-year-old Qesser Zuhrah was refused an ambulance for more than 12 hours, prompting MP Zarah Sultana and two doctors to camp out outside HMP Bronzefield overnight, demanding the prison provide an ambulance. They refused to leave until this was done. As the prison continued to deny Qesser Zuhrah access to an ambulance, mass protests erupted outside the prison and arrests were made, including the arrest of Dr Ayo Khalil. 

Dr James Smith at the press conference stated:

“The hunger strikers are dying…”

“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.”

“It is my view that the government are presently harming these individuals. It is imperative that David Lammy

meets with the hunger strikers and their families”

Friends and Family

Friends and family in attendance have been advocating for their loved ones, including addressing David Lammy face to face. Alongside this, despite more than four official letters have been sent to the government by Prisoners for Palestine, the government is yet to respond. After assurances that they would be met, this press conference becomes the latest attempt to pressure the government to meet with them urgently. 

A statement made by Rahma Hoxha, sister of T Hoxha currently held at HMP Peterborough:

“I don’t think people realise how serious this is, as on day 35 you risk brain damage, organ failure and heart attack. Today, she’s on day 40. I don’t want to lose my sister, I don’t want to imagine my life without her.”

A statement from Ella made today, Qesser Zuhrah’s next of kin:

“Qesser has been on hunger strike now for 47 days. This means she is 12 days into the final stage of starvation and 7 days into the period where death can occur at any time. Qesser is only 20 years old and has been held in prison for over a year without trial. All she wants is to go home and for this government to stop manufacturing genocide. She has so much life left to live – please let her live.”

Shahmina Alam, sister of Kamran Ahmed stated at the press conference:

“Kamran has made the most difficult decision, to starve his body of nutrients, because there is nothing more left (that he can do to be heard). He is committed to the liberation of Palestinians, he is commited to a right to a fair trial, to an end of censorship, these are not abnormal asks. It is a great shame that we have to stand here and ask for these things… What is most concerning, he is losing half a KG of weight everyday, in the last three days he has lost 3 kg. What are we waiting for? For his heart to stop?”

Legal 

Daniel Cooper from Imran Khan And Partners spoke detailing multiple correspondences sent to David Lammy, with no response. The legal team representing the hunger strikers have pointed out that the government is in contempt of not adhering to their own policies on hunger strikers by mentioning the government’s policies in being involved in discussions on coming to resolutions on re-feeding. Daniel Cooper stated: 

“We make it clear, our effort is to seek to prevent the loss of life. We remain at a loss as to why the Secretary [of State] would not want to engage in a process to save lives? Their lives are at risk, the government has known about this for some time, but for reasons not clear to us, they have refused our requests to meet.”

This statement comes following PM Keir Starmer being asked about the hunger strikers at PMQs yesterday, where he responded by saying the government was following rules on hunger strike. 

Politicians

Jeremy Corbyn, John McDonnell, Zarah Sultana and Zack Polenski are amongst politicians urging the government to immediately meet with Prisoners for Palestine, in order to intervene and put an end to the hunger strikes. Several MPs have also sent letters alongside over 50 MPs signing an open letter to Lammy earlier this week. 

John McDonnell stated:

“We are desperate now… We are desperate for a resolution of this. It would not be much to ask for David Lammy to simply appoint someone to start discussions off. Jeremy, I and Zarah have been down to prisons to visit and we have raised the basic conditions of humanitarian treatment of these prisons. By any standards, these conditions are not being met. It is not much to ask for David Lammy to enter into a process of discussion to save these people’s lives.”

Also attending the press conference was Shockat Adam Independant MP. He said:

“These individuals were standing up to the massacre and disruption of an innocent people…We have failed to stop the killing and suffering, these individuals decided to make sure they could do everything in their means to stop this from happening. This is an extension of where our country will go towards in order to make sure we are not implicated and this is why we will stand strongly with the prisoners.”

Salaam Alaikum.
As a former Guantanamo detainee GTMO441, we spent years in Guantanamo on hunger strike and force feeding. I know how governments punish and break hunger strikes.

Today, prisoners in UK prisons are on hunger strike for justice.
They have gone more than forty-five days without food.
Their bodies are breaking down, and the British government has chosen silence and violence. The British Government punishes them, ignores them, and refuses to provide the necessary health care they urgently need. This is a death sentence.

Hunger strikes are not protests of choice. They are protests of last resort.
The British government wants these men and women to disappear quietly.
The media wants to look away.
This silence is a weapon of violence.
Today, I am joining this hunger strike in solidarity.
“I do this because I see now that Guantánamo is embedded in the UK prison system.”
I do this because it is our duty to stand with the oppressed and confront the oppressor.
I do this because I’m able to do it, and this is the least I can do to support them.
This hunger strike is not about food.
It is about dignity and justice.
It is about remand being used as punishment.
It is about a system that believes silence will protect it.
It won’t.
I stand with the hunger strikers.
I will not look away.
And I will not let them be erased.

At 12.35PM, Jeremy Corbyn raised a question urging the Prime Minister to meet with representatives of the hunger strikers, to resolve the situation as their health seriously deteriorates.

Starmer failed to provide an adequate response, whilst Zarah Sultana MP remains outside HMP Bronzefield for nearly 12 hours to demand an ambulance for Qesser Zuhrah, on Day 46 of her hunger strike, who is in critical condition.

Jeremy Corbyn MP said: “Yesterday the minister of state for Justice declined a meeting with the representatives of a number of hunger strikers in prison at the present time. These are all remand prisoners. They’re not convicted of anything.

Since then a further prisoner has been taken to hospital as have others. Many people are very concerned about the regular breaches of prison conditions and prison rules in respect of these hunger strikers.

Will he make arrangements for the Ministry of Justice to meet representatives of the hunger strikers to discuss these breaches of the conditions that they’re experiencing at the present time?”

Keir Starmer responds by saying “He will appreciate there are rules and procedures in place in relation to hunger strikes and we’re following those rules and procedures.”

A spokesperson for Prisoners for Palestine said:

“The policy on hunger strikers stipulates that those in the best position to address and resolve the demands of prisoners refusing food, must do so. However there has been zero contact with the hunger strikers or their representatives to resolve this strike.

The prime minister is lying, and there are lives on the line. We are demanding, as a matter of life and death, that the government urgently meets to resolve the strike. Whilst they fail to do so, the government are breaching their own rules, and are letting unconvicted prisoners die.”