Two prisoners linked to the activist group Palestine Action have been rushed to hospital after prolonged hunger strikes, sparking urgent calls from MPs and family members for government action. The men's health is said to be deteriorating rapidly within the prison system.
Prisoners in Critical Condition After Weeks Without Food
Amu Gib, aged 30, was being held at HMP Bronzefield in Surrey while awaiting trial. He has now reached day 50 of his hunger strike. Kamran Ahmed, 28, was detained at Pentonville prison in London and is on day 42 of his protest. According to the support group Prisoners for Palestine, they are the latest of eight prisoners admitted to hospital since the collective hunger strike action began on Balfour Day, 2 November.
Gib's condition worsened significantly last week. He was provided with a wheelchair on Friday before being transferred to a hospital on Saturday. A friend and next of kin, Jessica Dolliver, was due to visit him on Sunday morning when she received a call from the prison informing her of the move. "I just wasn't surprised because I could see that Amu was deteriorating and I could also hear on the phone," said the 28-year-old.
MPs and Families Demand Immediate Government Intervention
The prisoner-led collective Prisoners for Palestine issued a stark warning, stating hunger strikers "will die" without urgent intervention from ministers. "They are in the custody of the state and any harm that comes to them is a deliberate outcome of the government’s negligence and the politicisation of their detention," the group said.
This crisis has drawn significant political attention. MPs have written to the government expressing deep concerns over delays in medical assistance and severely limited communication with the prisoners' families. Lawyers representing the individuals have also criticised the Justice Secretary, David Lammy, for refusing to meet with them to discuss the situation.
Political Pressure Mounts on Justice Secretary
The former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, who is Gib's MP and has visited him in detention, wrote a letter to the prisons inspectorate on Sunday. He raised serious concerns about the "inconsistent and unreliable" health treatment provided to those on hunger strike. The letter was co-signed by MPs John McDonnell and Barry Gardiner.
"We are dismayed to learn that, as they near their 8th week on hunger strike, their treatment remains inconsistent and unreliable," the MPs' letter stated. It follows a separate appeal last week in which Corbyn and over 50 other MPs urged Lammy to meet the prisoners' lawyers. "Our inquiries have either gone unanswered or, when answered have been vague reassurances that all policies and guidelines are being followed. However, we continue to hear from the prisoners and their loved ones daily that this is not the case," they wrote.
In a previous statement, the prisons minister, Lord Timpson, asserted that the service is "very experienced" at dealing with hunger strikes and has "robust and working" systems in place. He confirmed the Prison Service "will not be meeting" any prisoners or their representatives.
It is understood that Amu Gib is on remand suspected of involvement in a break-in at Brize Norton airbase in June, where two military aircraft were defaced with spray paint. In a piece published in the Guardian on Friday, Gib wrote of his solidarity with Palestinians. He is one of three prisoners at HMP Bronzefield connected to the protest, alongside Qesser Zuhrah, who has also been hospitalised, and Amy Gardiner-Gibson. HMP Bronzefield has been approached for comment on the latest developments.
