The British Government Has Killed Political Prisoners Before:
Four Pro-Palestine activists in the UK will die on hunger strike if demands are not met.
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BY BEN MULLIN-VANNESTE - Posted December 31, 2025
“Today, I join my comrades and begin my hunger strike. I want to make it abundantly clear that this is not about dying, because unlike the enemy I love life.”
“Today, I join my comrades and begin my hunger strike. I want to make it abundantly clear that this is not about dying, because unlike the enemy I love life.”
- Heba Muraisi, on hunger strike since November 3rd, 2025
- Heba Muraisi, on hunger strike since November 3rd, 2025
44 years ago, the British government allowed ten Irish political prisoners to die on hunger strike. Men killed by a government that subjected them to conditions so dire that the only means of resistance left was to deny themselves their basic necessities. Today, the British government, with its silence, indifference, and disregard for Palestinian life, is poised to kill four more political prisoners who have bravely chosen to commence a hunger strike.
The current Hunger Strikers are Heba Muraisi (age 31), Teuta Hoxha (age 29), Kamran Ahmed (age 28), and Lewie Chiarmello (age 22). As of December 30th, Heba, Teuta, and Kamran have refused food for over 52 days, while Lewie continues to fast intermittently due to his diabetic condition. Formally on the hunger strike and since paused, was Qesser Zuhrah (age 20), Amu Gib (age 30), Jon Cink (age 25) and Umer Khalid (age 22).
The Hunger Strikers, along with dozens of other activists, are alleged to be involved in direct action efforts–a form of protest usually involving physical blockage or disruption of a target–against Elbit Systems, an arms manufacturer deeply complicit in the genocide of the Palestinians. They have been denied bail, and subjected to over a year of imprisonment without trial. Their demands are listed below:
From prison, Qessar Zuhrah writes, “until our demands are met, we will Resist. We ask our government now: are you willing to let us die before you stop arming a genocide?” Our prisoners could face death at any moment. Their commitment to the Palestinian cause is notable, as it is to the struggle of political prisoners globally. They carry the legacy of true revolutionaries, the ones we’ve seen in Gaza, and those we have come from–stretching across every corner of the Earth that injustice has soiled and resistance has prevailed.
Will the British state concede to our prisoner’s demands, or allow them to die?
In 1981, the British state deepened its moral corruption by refusing the demands of the Irish Republicans to be granted special status in prison. But in 1975, another Irish hunger strike carried out by Dolours and Marian Price forced the British to concede to their demands. That victory could not have been achieved without the pressure put onto the state by the masses of people. The question of whether the British state will concede to the demands of our prisoners, and in fact the question of Our victory, does and will rest on the shoulders of the masses. Below are several ways we can amplify the demands of the Hunger Strikers and contribute to their effort:
In one of the many texts that the martyred Irish Hunger Striker, Bobby Sands, left us, he wrote: “They will not criminalize us, rob us of our true identity, steal or individualism, depoliticize us, churn us out as systemised, institutionalized, decent law-abiding robots. Never will they label our liberation struggle as criminal.” Legitimate resistance must not be criminalized, and resistance is legitimate in the time of genocide. Our dear prisoners, who have put their lives on the line, exemplify, to the highest degree, this fundamental demand.
Sources: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/palestine-action-prisoners-hunger-strike-jail-jeremy-corbyn-zarah-sultana-b2887168.htmlhttps://prisonersforpalestine.org/https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025/dec/26/un-experts-raise-grave-concern-over-treatment-of-palestine-action-hunger-strikers
The current Hunger Strikers are Heba Muraisi (age 31), Teuta Hoxha (age 29), Kamran Ahmed (age 28), and Lewie Chiarmello (age 22). As of December 30th, Heba, Teuta, and Kamran have refused food for over 52 days, while Lewie continues to fast intermittently due to his diabetic condition. Formally on the hunger strike and since paused, was Qesser Zuhrah (age 20), Amu Gib (age 30), Jon Cink (age 25) and Umer Khalid (age 22).
The Hunger Strikers, along with dozens of other activists, are alleged to be involved in direct action efforts–a form of protest usually involving physical blockage or disruption of a target–against Elbit Systems, an arms manufacturer deeply complicit in the genocide of the Palestinians. They have been denied bail, and subjected to over a year of imprisonment without trial. Their demands are listed below:
- End all censorship
- Immediate bail
- Right to a fair trial
- Deproscribe
- Shut Elbit down
From prison, Qessar Zuhrah writes, “until our demands are met, we will Resist. We ask our government now: are you willing to let us die before you stop arming a genocide?” Our prisoners could face death at any moment. Their commitment to the Palestinian cause is notable, as it is to the struggle of political prisoners globally. They carry the legacy of true revolutionaries, the ones we’ve seen in Gaza, and those we have come from–stretching across every corner of the Earth that injustice has soiled and resistance has prevailed.
Will the British state concede to our prisoner’s demands, or allow them to die?
In 1981, the British state deepened its moral corruption by refusing the demands of the Irish Republicans to be granted special status in prison. But in 1975, another Irish hunger strike carried out by Dolours and Marian Price forced the British to concede to their demands. That victory could not have been achieved without the pressure put onto the state by the masses of people. The question of whether the British state will concede to the demands of our prisoners, and in fact the question of Our victory, does and will rest on the shoulders of the masses. Below are several ways we can amplify the demands of the Hunger Strikers and contribute to their effort:
- Send an automated email to the UK Home Office, Ministry of Defense, and the Ministry of Justice by this link: https://bit.ly/EmailToUK
- Call the British Embassy in DC (202-588-6500) and the British Consulate in New York (212-745-0200) to let them know of your concerns.
- See further action by this link: https://bit.ly/HungerStrikerToolKit
In one of the many texts that the martyred Irish Hunger Striker, Bobby Sands, left us, he wrote: “They will not criminalize us, rob us of our true identity, steal or individualism, depoliticize us, churn us out as systemised, institutionalized, decent law-abiding robots. Never will they label our liberation struggle as criminal.” Legitimate resistance must not be criminalized, and resistance is legitimate in the time of genocide. Our dear prisoners, who have put their lives on the line, exemplify, to the highest degree, this fundamental demand.
Sources: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/palestine-action-prisoners-hunger-strike-jail-jeremy-corbyn-zarah-sultana-b2887168.htmlhttps://prisonersforpalestine.org/https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025/dec/26/un-experts-raise-grave-concern-over-treatment-of-palestine-action-hunger-strikers
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