London, United Kingdom – British activists Heba Muraisi and Kamran Ahmed, affiliated with Palestine Action, are reportedly on the brink of death but remain resolute in their hunger strike, demanding changes to UK prison conditions and government policies. Their families and supporters say they will continue refusing food until their demands are met, despite mounting health risks.

Muraisi has gone 67 days without food, while Ahmed has reached 60 days, as part of a coordinated protest that began in November 2025. Of the eight activists involved, five have already ended their hunger strikes due to critical health concerns. Lewie Chiaramello, 23, remains fasting intermittently because of his Type 1 diabetes.

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Severe Health Risks Among Hunger Strikers

Friends and family report alarming declines in the activists’ physical condition:

• Heba Muraisi, a 31-year-old former florist and lifeguard, shows extreme emaciation, muscle spasms, severe pain, breathlessness, and a low white blood cell count. She has been hospitalized three times during her strike. Observers also note a decline in her memory and conversational ability.
• Kamran Ahmed, a 28-year-old mechanic, has lost hearing in his left ear, suffers chest pains, dizziness, and dangerously low heart rates. He has been admitted to hospital six times since November.
• Lewie Chiaramello faces additional risks due to diabetes, experiencing disorientation, sluggishness, and potential for diabetic coma on fasting days.

Dr. James Smith, an emergency physician advising the hunger strikers, warned of the critical stage they are entering, where death or irreversible organ damage becomes increasingly likely. He highlighted concerns over the quality of medical care in UK prisons, describing some hospital procedures as degrading and unsafe.

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Protest Demands and Legal Context

The hunger strikers are being held on remand, accused of involvement in break-ins at UK sites linked to the Israeli defense company Elbit Systems and an RAF base in Oxfordshire. They deny the charges and have been detained for over a year, exceeding the UK’s usual six-month pre-trial limit.

Their primary demands include:

• Granting bail and fair trial rights
• De-proscribing Palestine Action, recently designated a terrorist organization by the UK
• Closure of Elbit Systems sites in the UK
• Ending censorship of correspondence, books, and calls within prisons

Despite warnings from UN experts, medical professionals, politicians, and legal advisers, the UK government has refused to meet the activists, citing standard policies regarding hunger strikes.

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Historical Parallels and Public Support

Supporters have drawn comparisons with historic hunger strikes, including the 1981 Irish Republican protest led by Bobby Sands, noting that Muraisi’s 66th day of fasting coincides with the day Sands died.

Francesca Nadin, spokesperson for Prisoners for Palestine, criticized the UK government:

“The government seems to forget that these young people are innocent until proven guilty. There is complete contempt for their safety and lives.”

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Hospital Conditions and Concerns

Activists report that hospital admissions are mentally and physically distressing, with constant handcuffing and heavy guard presence. These conditions, coupled with prolonged fasting, are raising urgent concerns about the humanitarian and legal treatment of political prisoners in the UK.

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Outlook

The hunger strikers have shown unwavering determination to continue their protest despite deteriorating health. Lawyers representing the group are seeking a meeting with the UK deputy prime minister and justice secretary, advocating for intervention and increased medical oversight.

Dr. Smith warns:

“The trajectory they are on can only end in one way – progressive decline and eventual death if nothing changes. Organs can hold out for a while, particularly in young individuals, but collapse can occur quickly.”

The coming days will be critical for Heba Muraisi, Kamran Ahmed, Lewie Chiaramello, and other hunger strikers, as their health worsens while the UK government continues to resist meeting their demands.