Palestine Action prisoners on hunger strike face 'imminent risk of death', families say

Family members of six Palestine Action prisoners on hunger strike have told The New Arab that their loved ones' lives are now in grave danger, as the UK government continues to hold them under terrorism legislation while refusing to intervene.

The activists are refusing food in protest at prolonged pre trial detention, sweeping counter terrorism charges, and what they describe as Britain's complicity in Israel's genocidal war on Gaza.

Several have already been hospitalised, while others are now weeks into starvation, growing weaker by the day.

Relatives say the state is knowingly pushing the prisoners towards death, using harsh prison controls and silence as punishment for pro Palestine activism that directly challenged Britain's military ties to Israel.

"My sister's life is on the line," Rahma Hoxha, sister of hunger striker Teuta Hoxha, told The New Arab.

Teuta Hoxha was arrested on 19 November after counter terrorism police raided her home over allegations linked to a protest at Elbit Systems’ Filton research centre, a key site involved in developing Israeli weapons used against Palestinians.

The protest reportedly caused more than £1 million in damage, and Hoxha was among those later labelled the "Filton 24".

Now on day 39 of her second hunger strike, Hoxha’s health has deteriorated sharply. She is lethargic, constantly exhausted, and no longer able to carry out basic daily tasks inside prison, including accessing the library.

"I feel like the state has taken away peace for me and literally shattered my heart," Rahma Hoxha said. "I don't want to lose my sister. I can't imagine a life without her."

She described her sister as weak, dizzy and increasingly skeletal, suffering aching limbs, nausea and persistent headaches. After visiting her in prison on Sunday, she said Teuta was visibly frail.

"She looked really pale and really skinny. She’s losing a lot of weight," Hoxha said. "Physically she’s suffering, but mentally she’s incredibly strong."

"She blanks out a lot. She gets breathless and has to stop talking because it’s so hard for her to speak."

The fears come as Your Party MP Zarah Sultana staged a protest outside HMP Bronzefield from early Wednesday morning, refusing to leave until prison authorities accepted an ambulance transfer for fellow hunger striker Qesser Zuhrah, who has gone 46 days without food.

"I will not leave until Qesser is transferred to hospital," Sultana told The New Arab. "She is at imminent risk of death. If the worst happens, there will be blood on David Lammy’s hands. He still has the opportunity to intervene before it is too late."

Speaking from HMP Peterborough, Teuta Hoxha said the hunger strike was the only form of resistance left to her inside prison walls.

"I either walk out of prison, or I leave in a wheelchair," she said. "I am prepared to go the full way to achieve our rights as British citizens."

At the core of the protest is the demand for a fair trial and full disclosure of documents relating to possible foreign and political interference in the case, including Britain’s relationship with Israel and Elbit Systems.

"I want to fight my case," Hoxha said. "But it's not a fair trial. The whole kitchen sink has been thrown at us. This is state corruption, state interference, and foreign interference."

She said she had discharged herself from hospital after being prevented from contacting her lawyer or next of kin, a restriction families say has become routine.

Rahma Hoxha also said prison authorities removed her phone number from her sister’s contact list for a month, accusing her of having a third party on a call.

"They've already taken my sister away from me,” she said. "Now they want to remove my number too. What more do they want?"

She added: "They are willing to let people die."

Similar fears were echoed by Shahmina Alam after visiting her brother Kamran Ahmed, another hunger striker held at HMP Pentonville.

"He's lost so much weight. His bones are sticking out," Alam told The New Arab. "I hugged him and my arms crossed over his body. He hasn't been that small since he was a little kid."

Ahmed has reached 38 days without food, has been hospitalised twice, and suffered a convulsion type episode earlier this week. He has spent 13 months on remand, despite the legal maximum being six months, with at least another six months before trial.

"No prisoner should ever be treated like this," Alam said. "You cannot justify this level of cruelty."

More than 50 MPs, including Sultana, Jeremy Corbyn, Andy McDonald and Lord Woodley, have now signed a letter demanding Justice Secretary David Lammy urgently meet the prisoners’ legal teams. Lammy has claimed he was unaware of the hunger strikes, a claim families strongly dispute.