A 20-year-old woman on a prolonged hunger strike in a UK prison has been transferred to hospital after supporters gathered outside the jail demanding she receive emergency medical attention.
Critical Condition After 46 Days Without Food
Qesser Zuhrah, who is being held at HMP Bronzefield in Kent while awaiting trial, reached day 46 of her refusal to eat. The protest is linked to the activist group Palestine Action. According to the prisoner-led collective Prisoners for Palestine, the situation became critical on Tuesday when Zuhrah was reportedly unable to stand and was writhing in pain on her cell floor.
The group claimed that prison authorities initially denied an ambulance entry to the facility. This prompted an overnight vigil by protesters, including Zarah Sultana MP and later the Green party peer Jenny Jones, who warned that Zuhrah's condition was potentially life-threatening. An ambulance eventually arrived and took her to a hospital on Wednesday afternoon.
Allegations of Inadequate Medical Care
Prisoners for Palestine has levelled serious allegations regarding the care provided to Zuhrah. They stated she had reported severe symptoms including chest pain, breathlessness, and abdominal and lower back pain. It was further claimed that her vital signs were monitored only intermittently and that she received inadequate electrolytes after a previous hospital visit because the prison had reportedly run out.
This was said to be her second hospitalisation in days. A letter from the hunger strikers' lawyers stated that the prior incident occurred after Zuhrah spent a night begging for an ambulance, having collapsed and drifted in and out of consciousness.
Wider Hunger Strike and Political Demands
Zuhrah is one of two inmates at Bronzefield, the other being Amy Gardiner-Gibson, who have been refusing food for 46 days. This matches the length of the fast undertaken by IRA hunger striker Martin Hurson before his death in 1982. Other participants include Heba Muraisi (day 44), Teuta Hoxha (day 38), Kamran Ahmed (day 37), and Lewie Chiaramello (day 12), who has diabetes.
All are being held in connection with alleged involvement in Palestine Action protests. They have been in pre-trial custody for over a year, exceeding the standard six-month limit. Their core demands are:
- Immediate bail.
- An end to the ban on Palestine Action.
- The removal of restrictions on their communications.
The issue reached Parliament when former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn asked Prime Minister Keir Starmer if he would meet representatives of the hunger strikers. Starmer declined, following the same stance taken by Justice Minister Jake Richards a day earlier.
In response to the situation, a spokesperson for HMP Bronzefield stated: "We cannot provide information about specific individuals however, we can confirm that all prisoners have full access to healthcare, including attendance at external medical facilities if needed. Any prisoner refusing food receives regular medical assessment and support from clinicians, as well as being offered mental health support." The spokesperson added that all prisoners are managed in line with national policies and can raise complaints directly with the prison.
The Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust, which commissions healthcare for the prison, referred enquiries to the Ministry of Justice.
