Let's be clear: if the Palestine Action hunger strikers die, the government will bear moral responsibility | George Monbiot

"Three people who are being held in prison on charges connected with the protest group Palestine Action have been on hunger strike for 45, 59 and 66 days. A fourth prisoner, Teuta Hoxha, ended her strike this week, after 58 days. She could suffer lifelong health effects. The remaining strikers, Heba Muraisi, Kamran Ahmed and Lewie Chiaramello, could pass away at any time."

"The Crown Prosecution Service states that the maximum time a prisoner can spend on remand is 182 days (six months). Yet Muraisi and Ahmed were arrested in November 2024, and are not due to be tried until June at the earliest, which means they will be remanded for 20 months. Chiaramello, who was arrested in July 2025, has a provisional court date in January 2027, which means 18 months in prison without trial."

"The limbo of remand is often devastating to prisoners' wellbeing. Government figures, for example, show that the rate of suicide among remanded prisoners is more than twice that among sentenced prisoners. Extreme periods of remand like these are an offence against justice. This is one aspect of what campaigners call process as punishment, an approach that now dominates the treatment of protest groups. Even if you are never convicted of a crime, your life is made hell if you dare, visibly and publicly, to dissent."

Three prisoners linked to Palestine Action have been on hunger strike for prolonged periods—45, 59 and 66 days—with a fourth ending after 58 days and risking lifelong harm. Supporters report severe symptoms for the longest-striker, including breathing difficulty and muscle spasms that may indicate neurological damage. The Crown Prosecution Service sets a 182-day remand maximum, yet two detainees arrested in November 2024 face trials no earlier than June, implying 20 months on remand; another arrested in July 2025 faces 18 months before trial. Extended remand harms wellbeing, correlates with higher suicide rates, and is described as 'process as punishment.' The prisoners are held under restrictive terrorist conditions with limited contact and access to facilities.

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