A Palestine activist on a prolonged hunger strike in a UK prison is now facing a critical threat to her life as she enters her 57th day without food. Heba Muraisi, one of a group detained for alleged actions linked to Palestine Action, is reportedly losing her ability to speak and follow conversations.
Physical Toll and Deteriorating Health
In a recorded phone call from prison released by the support group Prisoners for Palestine, Muraisi detailed the severe physical toll of her protest. She described constant body aches, bruising from medical tests, dizziness, headaches, and nausea. "I can feel myself get weaker as each day passes," she stated, adding that she can no longer lie on her side at night due to pain.
The activist's cognitive functions are also impaired. "Sometimes I struggle to construct sentences, sometimes I struggle to maintain conversation," she said in the recording, which was punctuated by long pauses. Despite the physical decline, Muraisi emphasized her mental resolve, stating her willpower "hasn't shifted in the slightest."
The Protest and Unresolved Detention
Muraisi was arrested in November 2024 over her alleged involvement in a raid on the Bristol site of Elbit Systems, an Israeli weapons manufacturer. The action is alleged to have caused over £1 million in damage. Her trial is not scheduled until June next year, meaning she could spend nearly two years in jail without a conviction—a key point of protest for the hunger strikers.
She is currently held in HMP New Hall, having been transferred from HMP Bronzefield. Campaigners argue this move unfairly distances her from her family in Brent, making visits extremely difficult.
Medical Warnings and Wider Strike Action
Dr. James Smith, an A&E doctor and epidemiologist at UCL supporting the strikers, warned they are in a critical and unpredictable period. He stated that even if they survive, they risk irreversible long-term damage to vital organs like the kidneys, liver, pancreas, and heart. "There can be very sudden and rapid changes that can be fatal," he cautioned.
Of the original eight prisoners who began the hunger strike in November, three are continuing. The others include:
- Teuta Hoxha (Day 51)
- Kamran Ahmed (Day 50)
- Lewie Chiaramello (fasting every other day due to Type 1 Diabetes, currently on Day 36)
Four others—Amu Gib, Jon Cink, Umer Khalid, and Qesser Zuhrah—have paused their participation due to health concerns. This protest is considered the largest collective hunger strike of its kind since the 1981 IRA protests.
In a prior statement, Muraisi clarified her motivation: "This is not about dy!ng, because unlike the enemy I love life, and my love for life, for people, is the reason why I have been incarcerated for 349 days now." As she endures her 57th day without sustenance, the urgency for a resolution intensifies.
