A fourth activist from the pro-Palestinian group Palestine Action has ended a prolonged hunger strike after more than 50 days without food, while three fellow detainees continue their protest in what is described as the largest such action in a UK prison since 1981.
Striker Hospitalised as Health Deteriorates
Amy Gardiner-Gibson, also known as Amu Gib, was reportedly taken to hospital before pausing the strike. Their legal representatives stated the protester lost over 10 kilograms during the fast, suffering from muscle twitches, deep exhaustion, and was offered a wheelchair. Gardiner-Gibson had begun refusing food alongside Qesser Zuhrah on November 2 at HMP Bronzefield. Zuhrah herself ended her 48-day strike earlier this week amid claims she was denied full medical care.
In total, eight activists have participated in this coordinated hunger strike. The protest was initiated following complaints of alleged mistreatment in custody and a series of demands, including the lifting of a ban on Palestine Action and the closure of defence firm Elbit Systems, which has ties to Israel.
Three Remain on Strike as Health Crisis Deepens
Three prisoners are still refusing food: Heba Muraisi, Teuta Hoxha, and Kamran Ahmad, believed to be on day 50, 44, and 43 of their respective fasts. Their health is reported to be declining sharply. Muraisi caught a cold on day 34 at HMP Newhall. Both Hoxha and Ahmad were hospitalised last month with symptoms including headaches, dizziness, shortness of breath, and low blood pressure, with Ahmad collapsing twice in his cell in November.
Hoxha's family issued a stark warning on Monday, stating she will die in jail without government intervention. Her sister detailed that the 29-year-old suffers continuous headaches, has mobility issues, and can no longer stand for prayer. Hoxha has been on remand for 13 months over alleged offences linked to a protest at an Elbit Systems factory in Filton, near Bristol, which caused over £1 million in damage.
The other striking activists are accused of breaking into RAF Brize Norton and damaging two military Airbus Voyager aircraft by spraying red paint into their engines.
Legal Challenges and Historical Parallels
The strike has drawn comparisons to the 1981 Irish Republican Army (IRA) hunger strikes, in which ten prisoners died. Lawyers for the current strikers set a deadline this week for the Government to respond to a threatened High Court challenge, arguing that prison officials have breached their own policy by failing to properly engage with the protesters' grievances.
In a statement, the support group Prisoners for Palestine said: 'No matter the response of the government, the hunger strikers are victorious... Their self sacrifice has made the world rise up in righteous rage at the injustice they, and the Palestinian people, face.' Gardiner-Gibson added: 'We have never trusted the government with our lives, and we will not start now.'
Legal representatives also report increasing difficulty in communicating with their clients due to signs of memory loss, and claim the activists face heavy restrictions on visits, calls, and mail. A letter signed by 147 medical professionals to NHS England described the situation as a 'medical emergency' posing an imminent risk to life.
The developments follow the arrest of climate activist Greta Thunberg at a separate London protest in support of the hunger strikers. The Ministry of Justice has been approached for comment.
