Palestine Action Hunger Strike Raises UK Prison Health Fears

Published: 22 December 2025. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online.

Two prisoners affiliated with Palestine Action have been transferred to hospital after weeks without food, intensifying scrutiny of prison healthcare and political accountability. Their hospitalisation follows growing alarm from family members, legal representatives, and Members of Parliament who argue that delayed medical intervention has placed lives at serious risk. The case has become a focal point for wider debates around protest, detention conditions, and the responsibilities of the state toward those in custody.

Amu Gib, aged thirty, had been held at HMP Bronzefield in Surrey while awaiting trial and had reached fifty days of refusing food. Kamran Ahmed, twenty-eight, detained at Pentonville Prison in London, had been on hunger strike for forty-two days when he was also taken to hospital. Both individuals are associated with Palestine Action, a protest movement that campaigns against British links to Israeli military infrastructure. Their hunger strike began on 2 November, coinciding with Balfour Day, a date laden with historical and political symbolism for Palestinians and their supporters.

According to Prisoners for Palestine, a collective monitoring the action, eight hunger strikers have now been admitted to hospital since the protest began. The organisation has warned that without immediate intervention, further deterioration is inevitable. It argues that the hunger strike reflects not only political protest but also desperation driven by perceived mistreatment and prolonged pre-trial detention. Campaigners insist that the state bears direct responsibility for the wellbeing of prisoners under its control.

Gib’s condition appeared visibly to decline in recent days. On Friday, prison authorities provided a wheelchair, and by Saturday, Gib was transferred to hospital for urgent care. Friends and family say the move was overdue, pointing to weeks of apparent physical weakening. Jessica Dolliver, a close friend and next of kin, described receiving a call from the prison shortly before a planned visit. She said the news, while distressing, did not come as a surprise given Gib’s increasingly frail condition and difficulty speaking during recent phone calls.

In a statement released through Prisoners for Palestine, campaigners warned starkly that hunger strikers could die without urgent government action. They argued that continued inaction amounts to political negligence. The collective stated that any harm suffered by those striking is not accidental but the result of deliberate policy choices surrounding detention and protest-related prosecutions. The language reflects rising anger among supporters who believe the hunger strike has been treated as a security issue rather than a humanitarian emergency.

Legal representatives for several detainees have also raised concerns about restricted communication with families and delayed access to external medical specialists. They have criticised what they describe as vague assurances from authorities that existing policies are being followed. According to lawyers, such reassurances do little to address reports from inside prisons suggesting inconsistent medical monitoring and limited transparency around decision-making.

Members of Parliament have taken the unusual step of directly intervening. Former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, who represents Gib’s constituency, has visited the prison and maintained contact with the detainee. On Sunday, Corbyn wrote to the prisons inspectorate, warning that healthcare provision for hunger strikers appeared inconsistent and unreliable. He was joined by MPs John McDonnell and Barry Gardiner, who co-signed the letter expressing deep concern as the strike approached its eighth week.

The letter described a troubling gap between official statements and lived experiences reported by prisoners and their families. It noted that while authorities insist procedures are being followed, accounts from inside paint a different picture. The MPs urged independent scrutiny to ensure that basic medical and human rights standards are being upheld, regardless of the political context surrounding the detainees.

Earlier, Corbyn and more than fifty MPs had written to the justice secretary, David Lammy, requesting a meeting between government officials and lawyers representing the hunger strikers. That request was declined, a decision that has fuelled accusations of indifference. In their correspondence, MPs said many inquiries had gone unanswered, while responses received offered only general assurances. They stressed that such responses conflicted with daily reports of deteriorating health.

Gib has previously written publicly about their motivations, including an article expressing solidarity with Palestinians and condemning what they described as British complicity in violence abroad. Supporters argue that the hunger strike is intended to draw attention to broader issues of foreign policy and civil liberties. Critics, however, maintain that prison authorities cannot allow protest to undermine institutional order or safety.

It is understood that Gib remains on remand on suspicion of involvement in a break-in at RAF Brize Norton in June. During that incident, military aircraft were sprayed with paint in an act of protest. No trial date has yet been set, adding to frustration among supporters who argue that prolonged remand without conviction exacerbates mental and physical strain. Two other detainees, Qesser Zuhrah and Jon Cink, have also been admitted to hospital during the hunger strike.

A spokesperson for HMP Bronzefield declined to comment on individual cases but insisted that all prisoners have full access to healthcare. The statement confirmed that external medical facilities are used when necessary and that prisoners refusing food receive regular assessments from clinicians. Mental health support, the spokesperson added, is also offered throughout such periods. Similar assurances have been issued by the Prison Service regarding other hunger strikers.

The prisons minister, Lord Timpson, has previously defended the system, stating that the service has extensive experience handling hunger strikes. He said robust procedures are in place and emphasised that officials would not meet with prisoners or their representatives while the protest continues. His remarks have been interpreted by campaigners as dismissive, reinforcing perceptions of a hardened stance against dialogue.

Human rights groups have begun to monitor the situation closely, warning that prolonged hunger strikes can result in irreversible organ damage and death. Medical experts note that after several weeks without food, risks increase dramatically, even with hydration. They argue that early hospitalisation is critical and that delayed transfers raise serious ethical questions. These warnings have added urgency to calls for independent oversight.

The case has reignited debate over the balance between maintaining prison order and respecting the rights of detainees engaging in non-violent protest. Supporters argue that hunger strikes are a last resort for those who feel unheard within the justice system. Opponents counter that conceding to such actions could set a dangerous precedent. As Gib and Ahmed remain under medical care, that debate shows no sign of easing.

For families, the situation remains deeply personal and painful. Dolliver described the emotional toll of watching a loved one weaken while navigating bureaucratic barriers to information. She and others continue to call for transparency, accountability, and humane treatment. As the hunger strike enters a critical phase, pressure on the government is mounting, with lives now undeniably at stake.