Palestine Action linked hunger-strikers at risk of death, UN warns

A group of UN human rights experts warned the UK government that eight pro-Palestine activists on hunger strike in UK prisons risk organ failure and death after seven weeks of hunger strike. 

The seven experts who work independently of each other said the activists' decision to refuse food reflected a "measure of last resort" taken by people who believe "their right to protest and effect remedy have been exhausted".

Among the UN experts who signed the statement are Francesca Albanese, the UN special rapporteur for the Palestinian Territories, and Gina Romero, UN special rapporteur on the freedom of peaceful assembly.

"The State's duty of care toward hunger strikers is heightened, not diminished," the experts said.

"Authorities must ensure timely access to emergency and hospital care when clinically indicated, refrain from actions that may amount to pressure or retaliation, and respect medical ethics."

In a statement published on Friday, the UN experts warned of potential "irreversible neurological damage, cardiac arrhythmias and death", urging British authorities to act urgently as the strike enters its second month.

The experts stressed that the UK has a legal and moral obligation to protect the well-being of those in custody, even and especially when they choose to hunger strike.

They reiterated that the right to health applies equally to individuals deprived of liberty.

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States, they said, must respect detainees' autonomy while ensuring independent medical monitoring, transparent communication about health risks, and measures to prevent irreversible harm - without resorting to coercive or punitive practices.

The experts said they had received reports of delayed medical care, excessive restraint during hospital treatment, and restrictions on contact with families and lawyers. Such allegations raise questions about compliance with international human rights standards, they said.

They also linked the protests to broader restrictions on pro-Palestine activism in the UK, including the use of counterterrorism powers and the proscription of Palestine Action under terrorism legislation.

Pause on hunger strike

Four of the eight hunger strikers paused their strike, while four others vowed to continue.

The UN call for urgent action comes after lawyers representing eight prisoners on hunger strike said the UK's Justice Secretary David Lammy refused their request to meet for urgent negotiations.

The lawyers are now launching legal action against the UK government for refusing to meet with them.

The detainees, who are on hunger strike, are being held on remand in five prisons over their alleged involvement in break-ins at factories owned by Israeli arms company Elbit Systems and a Royal Air Force base in Oxfordshire.

The eight detainees deny the charges.

The hunger strikers' five demands include immediate bail, the right to a fair trial, and the de-proscription of Palestine Action, which accuses the UK government of complicity in Israel's war crimes in Gaza.

The UK government banned Palestine Action in July, branding it a "terror" group, a label that applies to groups such as Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group.

Last month, a judicial review into whether Palestine Action should be proscribed as a terror group was granted after the co-founder of the group, Huda Ammori, launched legal action against the government.

Ammori awaits the findings of the judicial review.