Palestine Action hunger strikes: What are their demands?

Sifts of United Kingdom healthcare professionals have warned that six prisoners who are currently awaiting remand and are connected to the banned organization Palestine Action are now on a hunger strike.

The prisoners are accused of involvement in break-ins at a Royal Air Force base in Oxfordshire last year and a UK factory run by Israel’s largest weapons producer, Elbit, near Bristol, where two military aircraft were spray-painted.

The charges, which involve criminal damage and unauthorised entry, are all brought against each of the six people. Some people are awaiting trial and have been detained for more than a year.

Families of the hunger strikers complained about the government’s unwillingness to take action and the prison conditions.

Why are the six prisoners currently on a hunger strike?

What do they demand?

The hunger strikers want immediate bail, the right to a fair trial (which they claim will include the release of information about “the ongoing witch-hunt of activists and campaigners,” ending censorship of their communications, “de-proscribing” Palestine Action, a group considered a “terrorist,” and the closure of Elbit Systems, an Israeli-based defense company with several UK factories.

The protesters have also alleged that the prison’s censorship is over, accusing the authorities of withholding mail, calls, and books.

The six prisoners are anticipated to be detained for more than a year before their trial dates, which is well beyond the UK’s six-month pre-trial detention cap.

What is the nature of their accusations?

Qesser Zuhrah, Amu Gib, Heba Muraisi, Teuta Hoxha, and Kamran Ahmed are the prisoners who are on a hunger strike between the ages of 20 and 31. Due to his diabetes, Lewie Chiaramello is on a partial strike, refusing to eat every other day.

For their alleged involvement in break-ins at a Royal Air Force base in Oxfordshire and at the UK subsidiary of Elbit Systems in Filton near Bristol, where equipment was allegedly damaged, were held in five prisons.

The prisoners deny the charges brought against them, including violent disorder and burglary.

In July, Palestine Action received the label “terrorist,” a designation that applies to organizations like ISIL (ISIS). In the three months following the introduction of the ban, more than 1,600 people were arrested in connection with Palestine Action. The court has ruled against the ban.

The pro-Palestinian group holds that the UK government is a toxic perpetrator of Israeli war crimes in Gaza.

Numerous human rights organizations claim that Israel’s actions in Gaza constitute a genocide. Israel’s occupation of Gaza was described as a genocide, according to a UN investigation released in September.

What makes them do this?

The prisoners claim that the Israeli occupation of Gaza has deeply affected them, and that Western governments have morally wronged them with the death toll of more than 70 000. At least 400 Palestinians have been killed by Israel in more than 700 attacks on the besieged enclave, despite a ceasefire reached in October.

They have criticized the Palestinian people in show of support for them because they think world governments have abandoned them.

Amu Gib, who has lost more than 10 kg (22 lbs.) is below the typical range for most health indicators, lamented “a society that imprisons its conscience” in a voice recording from prison.

Low blood pressure, headaches, chest tightness, and shortness of breath are all symptoms of Teuta Hoxha’s strike, which is occurring on its 40th day. Rahma, Teuta’s 17-year-old sister, claims she is “weak” and nauseous and is about to pass away.

Supporters claim that the two detainees who have been holding up food have been refusing food for 45 days, a claim that hasn’t been refuted by authorities.

How long are they scheduled to remain in foster care?

To protect defendants who have not yet been found guilty, strict custody time limits are established under UK law to prevent them from being held in pre-trial detention for an excessive amount. According to the rules, prosecutions must start proceedings right away.

Pre-trial detention is typically for six months in Britain. Over the statutory maximum, several of the six Palestine Action prisoners have been detained for more than a year without being tried.

More than 50 members of parliament (MPs) have urged Lammy to meet the hunger strikers’ lawyers in addition to the more than 20 000 signatures of the campaign group Avaaz’s petition calling for Justice Secretary David Lammy to step in.

Labour MP John McDonnell told Al Jazeera: “There is a real worry about what the hell is happening right now.” Why don’t we intervene as a government? Why don’t we resolve this issue? There is growing concern that the current circumstance is extremely risky.

More than 800 doctors wrote to the justice secretary on December 18 to say that “without resolution, there is the real and increasingly likely chance that young British citizens will die in prison, having never even been found guilty of an offence.”

The healthcare professionals stated in their letter that 24-hour medical coverage, daily blood tests, and twice-daily assessments were required.

Teuta Hoxha is currently being held at HMP Peterborough prison, where a spokesperson for the prison said all prisoners are treated according to government guidelines and procedures.

We encourage any prisoner to report a specific complaint to the prison, as there are numerous ways to address such concerns, they continued.

Exists a precedent for this?

The Irish Republican Army (IRA) launched a hunger strike in Northern Ireland in 1981 to demand the reinstatement of their political status, which the British government had ended in 1976.

The prisoners, who were detained at the time, claimed that their actions were politically motivated by a larger conflict known as the Troubles, a violent conflict between republicans seeking unification and unionists who wanted to remain British.

The hunger strike, led by Bobby Sands, who was elected an MP from prison and passed away after 66 days, boosted nationalist support and served as a turning point in the conflict. 12 republican hunger strikers died overall.

Today, some former Irish republican hunger strikers are expressing their support for Palestine Action prisoners.

Source: Aljazeera