Palestine Action hunger strikers hospitalized in the UK as health deteriorates

Two prisoners affiliated with Palestine Action, who have been on a hunger strike for weeks, were transferred to a hospital after their health deteriorated.

Amu Gib, 30, held at HMP Bronzefield in Surrey, was taken to the hospital on Sunday, the 50th day of her protest. Kamran Ahmed, 28, held at Pentonville Prison in London, was hospitalized for treatment on the 42nd day of his hunger strike.

The “Prisoners for Palestine” collective, run by the inmates, reported that with these latest developments, the number of protesters hospitalized during the action, which began on Balfour Day, November 2, has reached eight.

According to friends, Gib was provided with a wheelchair on Friday, and the process of hospitalization began the next day.

Jessica Dolliver, a relative who received a call from the prison before a planned visit on Sunday, commented on the situation. Dolliver said:

“I was not surprised, as I could see and hear on the phone that Amu’s condition was worsening.”

The protesters’ trial process

Gib, who is being held on remand, is accused of involvement in an incident in June where military aircraft at the Brize Norton air base were damaged with spray paint.

Gib is one of three Palestine Action-affiliated prisoners at HMP Bronzefield, along with Amy Gardiner-Gibson and Qesser Zuhrah. Zuhrah is also reported to be receiving treatment in a hospital.

The management of HMP Bronzefield declined to comment on the matter.

MPs appeal to prison inspectors

A group of MPs, including former Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn, wrote a letter to the prison inspectorate, stating that the treatment of the hunger-striking prisoners was “inconsistent and unreliable.”

Corbyn, who visited Gib in custody and represents her constituency, signed the letter along with MPs John McDonnell and Barry Gardiner.

The letter stated, “We were disappointed to learn that during their hunger strike, now approaching its eighth week, their treatment has been inconsistent and unreliable.”

The MPs called on the government for transparency and urgent action regarding the prisoners’ medical care and legal rights. Lawyers representing the prisoners criticized UK Justice Minister David Lammy for refusing to meet with them to discuss their clients’ health and treatment.

A previous letter signed by more than 50 MPs had also requested that Lammy meet with the legal teams.

The text stated, “Our questions have either gone unanswered or, when answered, we have been given vague assurances that all policies and guidelines are being followed. However, we hear daily from the prisoners and their loved ones that this is not the case.”

Government officials defend the system

The hunger strike aims to protest the British government’s complicity in Israel’s actions of genocide.

The Prisoners for Palestine group emphasized that the protesters face a risk of death if immediate action is not taken. In its statement, the group assessed:

“They are in the custody of the state, and any harm that comes to them is a deliberate result of the government’s negligence and the politicization of their detention.”

Prisons Minister Lord Timpson argued that the prison services are “very experienced” in dealing with hunger strikes and that the system is “robust and functioning.”

Timpson added, however, that the Prison Service would not meet with any prisoners or their representatives.