The health of three Palestine Action-affiliated prisoners on hunger strike is rapidly declining, with one entering her third month without food. Heba Muraisi, 31, on day 65 of her strike, is suffering muscle spasms and breathing difficulties, while Kamran Ahmed, 28, on day 58, has reported intermittent hearing loss. A third prisoner, Lewie Chiaramello, 22, who has type 1 diabetes, has been fasting every other day for 44 days.
Dr James Smith, an emergency physician at University College London, warned the trio are 'well into the critical phase' and that 'things can decline very quickly and irreversibly'. Ahmed, held at Pentonville prison and hospitalised five times, said he intends to continue his strike, adding: 'Perhaps they wait for me to leave in a body bag.'
The hunger strike began on 2 November, with demands including immediate bail, ending the ban on Palestine Action, closing UK sites of Israeli arms company Elbit Systems, and ending censorship of their communications. The three prisoners have spent over 18 months in jail awaiting trial, well above the standard six-month pre-trial custody limit.
Five other prisoners previously on hunger strike have paused their action, the latest being Teuta Hoxha after 60 days. The strike is believed to be the largest coordinated action since IRA hunger strikes in 1981, when 10 people died. Dr Smith dismissed scepticism about the strikers' survival, noting medical advancements in supplementation, but warned heart problems, infections, and neurological issues remain major risks.
Prisons Minister James Timpson said prison healthcare teams provide NHS care and that remand decisions are for independent judges. He stated: 'Ministers will not meet with them – it would be entirely unconstitutional and inappropriate for ministers to intervene in ongoing legal cases.'
