Palestine Action detainee hospitalized after 58-day hunger strike

Palestine Action Prisoner Hospitalized After Hunger Strike

A Palestine Action remand prisoner has been taken to the hospital for the fifth time after 58 days on hunger strike, his family has said.

Kamran Ahmed, 28, is one of four prisoners protesting the length of their pre-trial detention, which has exceeded the six-month custody time limit set by UK law.

Kamran, held at HMP Pentonville in north London, was hospitalized for a heart complication on Tuesday, according to his sister Shahmina Alam, who spoke to Sky News.

Health Risks of Long Hunger Strikes

Birmingham-based neurologist Dr. David Nicholl, who has studied prison hunger strikes for two decades, warns that the Palestine Action prisoners could face a risk of death. “When someone has been refusing food for 60-plus days, they are really at very serious risk of death, and indeed permanent harm,” he told Sky News before Kamran’s hospitalization.

Dr. Nicholl explained that long hunger strikes can lead to lasting health issues, including neurological and cognitive disorders, dementia, vertigo, sight loss, and extreme weakness.

“The biggest risk immediately is what’s called refeeding syndrome,” he said. He noted that after not eating for many days, a person needs to gradually increase their calorie intake to avoid getting very sick.

Other Hunger Strikers

Also on hunger strike are Heba Muraisi, on day 65, and Lewie Chiaramello, who is type 1 diabetic and has been fasting every other day, currently on day 60. Teuta Hoxha had been on hunger strike but has paused her protest and has been taken to the hospital due to a rapid deterioration of her condition, according to the lawyers representing the hunger strikers.

All four prisoners deny charges related to alleged break-ins or criminal damage carried out in the name of Palestine Action, which has been banned under terrorism legislation.

By the time they are tried, all four will have spent over a year in custody.

Demands of the Hunger Strikers

The prisoners demand that Palestine Action be de-proscribed and that the UK ends support for companies supplying weapons to Israel. They also seek immediate bail or transfers to prisons closer to home for family visits.

Official Response

Prisons minister Lord Timpson stated, “While very concerning, hunger strikes are not a new issue for our prisons. Over the last five years, we’ve averaged over 200 a year and we have longstanding procedures in place to ensure prisoner safety.”

He added that prison healthcare teams provide NHS care and continuously monitor the situation. “Claims that hospital care is being refused are entirely misleading,” he said, noting that several prisoners have already been treated in the hospital.

Lord Timpson emphasized that these prisoners are charged with serious offenses, including aggravated burglary and criminal damage. He stated that remand decisions are made by independent judges and that lawyers can represent their clients in court.

“Ministers will not meet with them,” he said. “We have a justice system that is based on the separation of powers, and the independent judiciary is the cornerstone of our system.”