A prisoner linked to the pro-Palestinian activist group Palestine Action, now on the 71st day of a hunger strike, has told a visiting friend that she is dying. The stark declaration came during a weekend visit to HMP New Hall in Wakefield, where Heba Muraisi, 31, is being held.
Visitors Shocked by Deteriorating Health
Francesca Nadin, who visited Muraisi on Saturday, described being shocked by her friend's severe physical decline. "I was shocked – I mean I shouldn’t be – at how skinny she is, like a paper thing," Nadin said. She reported that Muraisi is now so frail that hugging her felt dangerous, and that the prisoner must wear a face mask due to a critically weakened immune system.
"She's dying. She said it: 'I'm dying.' Her body's shutting down," Nadin stated. She accused the government of not merely allowing Muraisi to die but of "actively killing her" by imprisoning her and denying her rights.
Muraisi has reported suffering from chest pains and twitches, raising fears of potential heart failure. Her condition is mirrored by other hunger strikers involved in the protest. Kamran Ahmed, 28, on day 64, has been diagnosed with heart muscle shrinkage, with his heart rate dropping to 40 beats per minute, leaving him at risk of sudden cardiac arrest.
Core Demands of the Protesters
The group of hunger strikers, which includes others like Lewie Chiaramello and Umar Khalid who are fasting in solidarity, have issued a clear set of demands. Their key objectives are:
- A fair trial and immediate bail, noting all will have spent over 18 months in prison before their trials for Palestine Action-related activities.
- The deproscription of Palestine Action as an organisation.
- The closure of UK sites operated by the Israeli arms company Elbit Systems.
- An end to censorship of their communications.
Additionally, there is a specific demand for Muraisi to be moved back to HMP Bronzefield, as her current location in Wakefield is hundreds of miles from her family and support network.
Growing Solidarity and Accusations of Authoritarianism
The plight of the hunger strikers has drawn international attention. On Monday, a statement of solidarity was signed by high-profile authors and academics including Naomi Klein, Angela Davis, and Sally Rooney. The statement echoed a slogan seen on a placard carried by Greta Thunberg, reading: "We oppose genocide, we support the Palestine Action prisoners."
Professor Peter Hallward of Kingston University, a signatory, issued a severe condemnation. "The UK is now perilously close to full descent into authoritarian rule," he said. "Ministers won’t even meet with hunger strikers who are now at death’s door. [They] seem perfectly ready to let this country’s most committed and courageous opponents of an ongoing genocide waste away and die."
The government has been approached for comment regarding the situation. Supporters of the strikers say they now wake each day "full of dread, full of pain and sadness" as the protest reaches a critical stage.
