A Palestine activist on hunger strike in a UK prison is now experiencing severe neurological symptoms as her protest reaches a critical 64th day without food.
Mother's heartbreaking letter as health declines
Heba Muraisi, held on remand, began her open-ended hunger strike on 3 November 2025. She is now the longest-serving hunger striker in the current campaign. Her mother, Dunya, who has been unable to visit, released an emotional letter of support, writing: "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."
Speaking to the group Prisoners for Palestine, Muraisi described alarming physical deterioration. She reported uncontrollable muscle spasms and twitches in her arm, symptoms that could indicate neurological damage. She also said she has to consciously "remind herself to breathe," experiencing feelings of breath-holding. This follows reports on 2 January that she had lost the ability to speak.
Demands and legal context of the protest
Muraisi has vowed to continue her strike until prison authorities agree to move her back to HMP Bronzefield, closer to her family. She was transferred to HMP New Hall in Wakefield late last year. She is also demanding immediate bail.
She stands accused, alongside other activists, of involvement in a break-in at the Israeli-linked defence firm Elbit Systems in November 2024. A trial is tentatively set for May 2026. Her legal team, Imran Khan and Partners, has warned Foreign Secretary David Lammy that "young British citizens will die in prison, having never even been convicted of an offence."
Longest UK hunger strike in decades
Muraisi's protest is now the longest the UK has seen since the 1981 IRA hunger strikes, when Bobby Sands died after 66 days. Six prisoners, known as the Filton 24 and Brize Norton 4, began this strike in November. Several have since paused their action, but Muraisi continues into her third month.
Demonstrators have gathered outside HMP New Hall holding "Support the Hunger Strikers" banners. The wider group's demands include fair trials and the closure of Elbit Systems' UK sites.
When asked about the situation, Prisons Minister James Timpson told the Independent the system for managing hunger strikes was "well-established" and "robust," noting the service deals with over 200 such incidents annually.
