The sister of one of the six pro-Palestine hunger strikers has told how she lives in a ‘state of panic’ as fears grow that they will die unless the government urgently intervenes.
Shahmina Alam, sister of Kamran Ahmed, who has gone 37 days without food, alleged that he has been ‘double handcuffed’ and subjected to degrading treatment while on remand.
She spoke as 800 people including medical professionals and Zarah Sultana MP signed a letter urging David Lammy to intervene in the case and save the remand prisoners’ lives.
Ahmed, 28, is among the hunger strikers currently awaiting trial over their alleged roles in pro-Palestine raids on defence facilities.
Their action is believed to be the largest of its kind in UK prisons in almost 45 years, going back to an IRA hunger strike in which 10 died.
Ahmed’s sister, Shahmina Alam, told Metro: ‘What’s happening to him is unjust. I’m just anxious all the time.
‘I have panic attacks regularly at night time. In the last few days I’ve had only a few hours’ sleep daily. The other day I woke up in a state of panic and I couldn’t calm myself down. I jumped out of bed.
‘Anyone who experiences anxiety will understand that feeling. I have never had to deal with anxiety to this level.
‘I’ve had palpitations before but to be woken up in a state of fear at night time when you’re supposed to be resting and sleeping, I don’t think anyone would be able to experience that and the deep pain that you carry with you on a daily basis is both unfair and cruel.’
Pro-Palestine campaigners ‘mistreated’
Ahmed, from east London, was arrested in a dawn raid by counter-terrorism police on November 19 last year and is being held in HMP Pentonville, according to support group Prisoners for Palestine.
He was charged with a non-terrorism related offence over his alleged role in criminal damage to a plant owned by Elbit Systems, a UK subsidiary of an Israeli defence firm, and placed on remand.
‘I’m proud in the sense that my brother is upholding his values and integrity of upholding humanity and wanting to preserve lives, wanting to help the other action and start undergoing severe treatment within the prison system,’ Shahmina said.
‘Upholding the rights of us British citizens to be able to talk in a democratic country and able to express our views.
‘No-one should be treated like this.
‘When he was in hospital he spoke about his mistreatment and it wasn’t just for him as someone alleged to have taken direct action – he spoke about it as all the prisoners.’
Shahmina joined calls for the justice secretary to meet with the supporters in order to save the hunger strikers’ lives.
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‘I just pray that he’s not going to be somebody who loses his life and I hope I never have to do an obituary for him,’ she said.
‘The biggest fear is obviously him not making it through this but then there are the fears of also organ damage.
‘He could be left with permanent heart damage, permanent brain damage, he could be left in a coma, these are all things that can be prevented if the government engages.’
‘Shackled at all times’
Shahmina told Metro that her brother had been subjected to degrading conditions, including when he was hospitalised for several days last week.
‘In that time what occurred shocked him,’ she said.
‘This was his second hospitalisation, in his first hospitalisation he was handcuffed to the guard.
‘This time they double handcuffed him, they cuffed both of his arms and put another single cuff on him which was then attached to a guard.
‘This was at all times. He then had to wear a ridiculous banana suit.
Who are the hunger strikers?
Qesser Zurah, Amu Gib, Heba Muraisi, Teuta Hoxha and Kamran Ahmed have all been on hunger strike for more than a month while in custody over their alleged roles in pro-Palestine activity targeting a defence company plant and an RAF base.
They were later joined in the protest by Lewie Chiaramello.
Ahmed was hospitalised on November 25 after going into his fourth week of a hunger strike. Hoxha was hospitalised two days later, on November 27, as her health deteriorated rapidly, according to campaign group Prisoners For Palestine.
Two other remand prisoners, Jon Cink and Umer Khalid, have ended their hunger strikes, according to Prisoners for Palestine.
Concerns are now mounting over the condition of the activists, who have been in prison for well over a year before they are tried, breaking the UK’s six-month pre-trial detention limit.
‘Hunger strikers are dying’
‘The only positive that came out of it was he was given shoes this time as opposed to last time but he was subjected to sitting in a room having no access to books, no TV, nothing to occupy his time in hospital and now he dreads going to hospital.
‘He dreads the concept of being in a hospital room because that feels like a [worse] punishment to sitting in his cell where he has access to books [and other activities] to try and get by those really difficult moments.
‘He thinks the NHS staff have been wonderful in trying to support him and ensure his health is well kept.’
Dr James Smith, an A&E doctor and lecturer at University College London, discussed the open letter at the press conference attended by Ms Sultana, Jeremy Corbyn, relatives and other supporters this afternoon.
Dr Smith said: ‘The hunger strikers are dying. The shackling of prisoners when in hospital, even when using toilet facilities, this is something I have never seen or experienced in my time as a medical professional.
‘It is my view that the government are presently harming these individuals.’
Dr Smith and more than 500 other medical professionals warned of an ‘inherently dangerous and fragile situation’ where the eight remand prisoners’ lives hang in the balance.
Zarah Sultana demands action
One of the protestors, Qesser Zuhrah, 20, was transferred by ambulance from HMP Bronzefield to hospital yesterday after her supporters, including Ms Sultana, said she was at risk of death.
Skirmishes between police and demonstrators who had gathered to demand she be given medical treatment in hospital then broke out.
The Coventry South MP issued grave warnings about Zuhrah’s health as she joined the group outside the prison in Surrey yesterday.
Zuhrah is on day 47 of her action as she awaits trial over her alleged involvement in the raid on the Elbit factory in Filton, Bristol.
On Facebook, Ms Sultana said today: ‘From 2am, in freezing temperatures, we were forced to protest for more than 12 hours before an ambulance was finally dispatched to HMP Bronzefield so that Qesser Zuhrah could receive the urgent medical care she needs. Just as Keir Starmer’s Labour government has enabled genocide in Gaza, it is now enabling the deaths of Palestine solidarity hunger strikers inside UK prisons.
‘We demand immediate bail for all remand political prisoners.’
‘Nearing point of no return’
Supporters of the hunger strikers including relatives held a press conference in London today, where they again called on David Lammy to intervene in the case.
They also announced the submission of a letter signed by more than 500 health professionals urgently calling for political intervention on medical and humanitarian grounds.
Now in its second month, the protest is thought to be the largest of its type coordinated in prison since 1981.
In a statement, their supporters said: ‘All hunger strikers are young adults who have lost a significant percentage of their body weight.
‘Medical professionals warn they are approaching a critical stage, with some nearing the point of no return.
‘By continuing their hunger strike, they are risking their lives through the most selfless and peaceful form of protest available.’
The hunger strikers’ demands include an end to censorship, including unrestricted access to mail and books, changes to their security categorisation and bail and the right to a fair trial.
Jeremy Corbyn and Rahma Hoxha, sister of Teuta Hoxha, were also at the press conference in Vauxhall.
Mr Corbyn has sent a letter signed by more than 50 MPs and Peers to Mr Lammy, urging him to meet with the hunger strikers’ lawyers.
He told the press conference that the request had met with a blunt ‘no’ and that ‘some of his colleagues – to their eternal disgrace – laughed at the strength of his response.’
‘I find it contemptible that members of parliament should derive some kind of amusement from the minister’s obdurate refusal to carry out his own responsibilities,’ he said.
‘Yesterday I asked the prime minister on this and he said, and this can be quoted back at him at any time, he said that he was satisfied that all the relevant prison regulations and conditions were being adhered to.
‘If he accepts that that’s the case, then surely he should think of his role as prime minister is to make sure that public services operate in a proper and legal manner.’
Arrests after protest at prison
Metro reported yesterday how skirmishes broke out between campaigners and police after an ambulance left Bronzefield to take Zuhrah to hospital.
Two arrests were made by police, one for assaulting a member of prison staff and another for assaulting a police officer.
Another arrest was made for criminal damage.
Metro saw Ms Sultana stand back from the disturbances and avoid any clashes with the police.
The Ministry of Justice maintains that it cannot comment on individual cases but that it has no record of complaints from NHS staff that prison officers have obstructed health care
A spokesperson said: ‘We continually assess prisoners’ wellbeing and will always take the appropriate action, including taking prisoners to hospital if they are assessed as needing treatment by a medical professional.
‘His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service has assured ministers that all cases of prisoner food refusal are being managed in accordance with the relevant policy, and with appropriate medical assessment and support – consistent with prisoner rights.’
HMP Bronzefield also maintained that it cannot comment on specific individuals but that prisoners have full access to healthcare including at ‘external’ medical facilities.
A spokesperson said: ‘Any prisoner refusing food receives regular medical assessment and support from clinicians, as well as being offered mental health support. This includes specialist multi-agency processes, led by the government, to assess individual risks and security status.
‘However, if any prisoner has specific complaints, we encourage them to raise them directly with the prison, as there are numerous channels available for addressing such concerns.’
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