Prisoner on Palestine Action starvation strike ‘losing the ability to speak’, say campaigners | EUROtoday

One of the prisoners on starvation strike in assist of Palestine Action has misplaced the flexibility to talk and one other is unable to face with out passing out, campaigners have mentioned because the protest entered its 56th day.

The eight activists initially went on starvation strike whereas awaiting trial for alleged break-ins or prison harm, with 4 nonetheless sustaining their protest.

Heba Muraisi, who’s being held in HMP New Hall in West Yorkshire, has mentioned she feels “weaker as each day passes” in a press release launched by the Prisoners for Palestine group. She additionally complained of “bruising on her arm” and a “constant body ache”.

“’I can no longer lie on my side as it hurts my face,” Ms Muraisi mentioned, including that she is dropping the flexibility to “form sentences, and struggling to maintain conversation”.

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Earlier this month two of the activists, Qesser Zuhrah and Amu Gib, paused their starvation strike at HMP Bronzefield in Surrey after 48 days as a consequence of deteriorating well being. Both have been admitted to hospital for therapy.

Those nonetheless refusing meals are Teuta Hoxha, Ms Muraisi, Kamran Ahmed and Lewie Chiaramello, in accordance with Prisoners for Palestine.

Four of the group, together with Ms Muraisi, are accused of enjoying roles within the break-in at Israeli-linked defence know-how firm Elbit Systems UK on 19 November, 2024. They will go on trial in May subsequent yr on the earliest.

The different 4 are accused of breaking into RAF Brize Norton in June, the place it’s alleged that they sprayed pink paint into two RAF Voyager planes inflicting tens of millions of kilos value of harm.

Ms Hoxha, 29, who’s being held in HMP Peterborough, has mentioned that she is “no longer able to stand without blacking out” and enduring “dizzy spells” with “increasing levels of brain fog”, Prisoners for Palestine mentioned. She is “virtually bedridden” because of the strike – her second this yr.

Allegations that Ms Zuhrah was refused an ambulance sparked a protest outdoors HMP Bronzefield earlier this month attended by Coventry South MP Zarah Sultana. The Ministry of Justice has denied claims of mistreatment.

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The remaining starvation strikers issued a brand new set of calls for on Tuesday, together with that Ms Muraisi be transferred again to HMP Bronzefield the place she was first detained.

This got here on prime of a earlier a collection of calls for which included a direct bail and the flexibility to “send and receive “communications without restriction, surveillance, or interference from the prison administration”.

Lawyers representing the strikers have mentioned they’re dealing with potential demise. On Monday, they initiated authorized proceedings towards the federal government, claiming that they had deserted their very own jail security coverage framework. The strikers say they’ve despatched a number of letters to Justice Secretary David Lammy with out a response.

Lord Timpson, the minister of state for Prisons, Probation and Reducing Reoffending, mentioned: “We are very experienced at dealing with hunger strikes. Unfortunately, over the last five years we have averaged over 200 hunger strike incidents every year and the processes that we have are well-established and they work very well – with prisons working alongside our NHS partners every day, making sure our systems are robust and working – and they are.

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“I am very clear. I don’t treat any prisoners differently to others. That is why we will not be meeting any prisoners or their representatives. We have a justice system that is based on the separation of powers, and the independent judiciary is the cornerstone of our system.”

A spokesperson for Prisoners for Palestine mentioned: “Unlike the jail guards, who lock up the prisoners early to go residence to their Christmas dinner, the starvation strikers do not get a Christmas break. Just just like the Christians in Gaza, who proceed to undergo within the freezing chilly by the hands of the settler-colonial entity.

“The hunger strikers say to us, don’t forget the people of Palestine over Christmas, and continue to demand a meeting with the British government on their behalf.”

An HMP Bronzefield spokesperson said: “We cannot provide information about specific individuals, however all prisoners are managed in line with policies and procedures governing the entire UK prison estate. This includes specialist multi-agency processes, led by the Government, to assess individual risks and security status.”