UK's political prisoners approach sudden death

Kamran Ahmed, 28, who is currently being held on remand at HMP Pentonville, has been told by doctors that he is suffering from heart muscle shrinkage, with his heart rate dropping to 40 bpm.

Two days ago, Kamran was taken to hospital due to abnormal ECG results. Tests discovered that his heart muscle was shrinking and he was given a diagnosis of Bradycardia. He has reached 61 days of continuous hunger striking and the significant changes to his ECG means he could go into cardiac arrest at any moment. Kamran also continues to suffer from intermittent hearing loss, which could indicate damage to his nervous system.

Meanwhile, Heba Muraisi, who has been on hunger strike for 68 days today, is experiencing involuntary muscular twitching and severe chest pains. Heba, 31, told the Prisoners for Palestine campaign group she is suffering from chest pains and "twitches on the side of her chest" which indicates she may be at risk of cardiovascular collapse and heart failure due to her prolonged hunger striking. She also reported no longer being able to sit down, as extreme weight loss has caused sitting down to become extremely painful for her. In addition to this, Heba continues to experience uncontrollable muscle spasms, indicating possible neurological damage. Heba weighed around 58kg when she began her hunger strike on the 3rd of November 2025, and as of 5/1/26  weighed 49.2 kg as her rapid weight loss continues.

Both hunger strikers have been on remand since November 2024, well beyond the UK custody time limits of six months, without conviction or trial. They are demanding immediate bail amongst a number of other individual demands, such as Heba's transfer back to HMP Bronzefield. She was abruptly moved to HMP New Hall, hundreds of miles away from her family and support system, against her wishes late last year.

Yesterday, John McDonnell MP  delivered an open letter to the Secretary of State, David Lammy, asking him to engage urgently with the legal representatives of the pro-Palestinian activists who are on hunger strike in UK prisons. The letter, signed by 53 MPs, states that independent physicians have advised the hunger strikers are in a "critical physical state, in which their condition is likely to decline very quick and irreversibly." The letter implores the Secretary of State "to respond positively and with humanity to the simple request to meet with the lawyers of the hunger strikers in order to avert the risk to the lives of these young people."

As the hunger strike approaches 10 weeks, the rapidly deteriorating health of the strikers means irreversible damage and sudden death are no longer a possibility but an eventuality, if the British government continues to refuse a meeting with their representatives in order to end the hunger strike safely.

A medical expert stated:

"At this state of the strike the body will be breaking down muscle tissue and there is a high risk of electrolyte imbalance, all of which will put a strain on the heart and increase the likelihood of unpredictable rhythm abnormalities. All of that increases the risk of poor heart function and the potential for cardiac arrest and multi organ failure"

Dozens of distinguished scholars and authors from around the world have now made a declaration in solidarity with prisoners in the UK whose long detention on remand on charges relating to activism for Palestine has sparked criticism from human rights organisations and UN experts. They include Naomi Klein, Angela Davis and Judith Butler alongside global scholars from a diverse set of academic disciplines, journalists George Monbiot and Owen Jones, and authors Sally Rooney and China Miéville.

The statement, which is published today on the Protest Not Terrorism website echoes the slogan which Greta Thunberg wrote on the placard she was carrying when she was arrested on 23 December.

“We oppose genocide, we support the Palestine Action prisoners”

A spokesperson for Protest not Terrorism open letter collective said: 

“This statement is a declaration of support for the campaign by prisoners for the respect of their fundamental rights to a fair trial, to prompt and appropriate medical treatment, to uncensored communications with their legal representatives and the removal of punitive and draconian conditions imposed by the Prison Service triggered by the widely-condemned proscription of Palestine Action. The signatories also affirm their solidarity with Greta Thunberg after her shocking arrest on terrorism charges for expressing solidarity with the prisoners.” 

Writing in the Guardian on 7 January, George Monbiot said: 

“The hunger strikers’ demands seem reasonable to me: release on bail; the right to a fair trial (they claim the government has withheld key documents); lifting the ban on Palestine Action; and shutting down Elbit Systems – which has supplied weapons to a state engaged in genocide – in the UK. All these things, I believe, should be happening anyway” 

Professor Peter Hallward, one of the signatories to the statement, said: 

“The UK is now perilously close to full descent into authoritarian rule. Ministers won’t even meet with hunger-strikers who are now at death’s door. Starmer, Lammy, Cooper and Mahmood seem perfectly ready to let this country’s most committed and courageous opponents of an ongoing genocide waste away and die. Now the police have begun arresting people just for using the standard Arabic word for ‘uprising,’ marking yet another draconian step in the elimination of what’s left of our freedoms of expression and of academic inquiry.” 

Letter to David Lammy

John McDonnell MP

Member of Parliament for Hayes & Harlington

Constituency Office, Pump Lane

HAYES, Middlesex. UB3 3NB

email: mcdonnellj@parliament.uk

Sent via email

Dear Secretary of State,

Hunger strike by Pro Palestinian Activists

We are writing to ask you to engage urgently with the legal representatives of the pro-Palestinian activists who are on hunger strike in UK prisons.

As you will be aware, although some have paused their hunger strike, Heba Muraisi, aged 31 is on day 66 of her hunger strike and Kamran Ahmed aged 28 is on day 59 and are continuing their strike, with the result that their solicitor has reported with considerable alarm the deterioration in their health.

Independent physicians have advised that they are into a critical phase stage, in which their condition is likely to decline very quickly and irreversibly.

We urge you to respond positively and with humanity to the simple request for a meeting with the lawyers of the hunger strikers in order to avert the risk to the lives of these young people.

Yours,

John McDonnell MP

Andy McDonald MP

Barry Gardiner MP

Jeremy Corbyn MP

Bell Ribeiro-Addy MP

Carla Denyer MP

Cat Eccles MP

Ben Lake MP

Ann Davies MP

Llinos Medi MP

Liz Saville-Roberts MP

Mary Foy MP

Dawn Butler MP

Nadia Whittome MP

Clive Lewis MP

James Naish MP

Brendan O’Hara MP

Kate Osborne MP

Alex Rowley MSP

Richard Leonard MSP

Mercedes Villalba MSP

Carol Mochan MSP

Ayoub Khan MP

Shockat Adam MP

Adnan Hussein MP

Iqbal Mohamed MP

Simon Opher MP

Claire Hanna MP

Marsha De Cordova MP

Abtisam Mohamed MP

Orfhlaigh Begley MP

Daire Hughes MP

John Finucane MP

Pat Cullen MP

Chris Hazzard MP

Paul Maskey MP

Cathal Mallaghan MP

Kim Johnson MP

Grahame Morris MP

Lorraine Beavers MP

Chris Hinchliffe MP

Neil Duncan-Jordan

Rachael Maskell MP

Brian Leishman MP

Olivia Blake MP

Richard Burgon MP

Apsana Begum

Ian Lavery MP

Ian Byrne MP

Rebecca Long Bailey

Diane Abbott MP

Imran Hussain MP

Zara Sultana MP