Palestine Action activist on hunger strike taken to hospital as campaigners criticise ‘negligent’ treatment

Campaigners have slammed the “deliberately negligent” treatment of an imprisoned Palestine Action activist who has refused to eat for 50 days, as they are taken to hospital.

Amu Gib is part of a group of Palestine Action activists who have been on hunger strike for months while awaiting trial for alleged break-ins or criminal damage.

Gib is imprisoned at HMP Bronzefield in Surrey, charged with breaking into RAF Brize Norton and spray painting two RAF Voyager planes in support of Palestine Action.

But campaigners have criticised the prison and Government’s handling of the situation and stressed that it is “completely unacceptable” to ignore this hunger strike and warned the hunger strikers will die without intervention.

Prisoners for Palestine said Gib’s health has “deteriorated rapidly” since joining the hunger strike on 2 November and said the activist has been taken to hospital and now needs to use a wheelchair.

open image in gallery

The campaign group said the prison had “initially refused” to give Gib access to a wheelchair, which resulted in them missing a GP appointment, and withheld the vitamin thiamine from Gib “for days”.

Gib was provided with a wheelchair on Friday and taken to hospital on Saturday.

It comes after Dr James Smith, an emergency physician who is a lecturer at University College London, said the group needed specialist medical help because they “are dying”.

“At this trajectory, the hunger strikers will die unless there is urgent intervention by the Government. It is completely unacceptable and deliberately negligent to pretend the hunger strike is not happening, or to dismiss the prisoners’ demands,” Prisoners for Palestine said.

“They are in the custody of the state, and any harm that comes to them is a deliberate outcome of the Government’s negligence and the politicisation of their detention,” it added.

A loved one of Gib explained they have not had any information since 10am on Friday and have been “left in the dark”.

They said: “We wouldn’t know if Amu is in a coma or had a heart attack. I’m the next of kin and it’s on Amu’s medical record that I am to be contacted in the event of their hospitalisation.

“But its been complete agonising silence for 57 hours. I’m furious and outraged that the prison was withholding thiamine from the hunger strikers, without which they are at high risk of brain damage.”

Last week, Mr Corbyn wrote on Instagram to say he had visited Gib at prison and called for them to be granted bail.

Since the hunger strike began on 2 November, a total of seven prisoners have been taken to hospital.

Earlier in December, activists Jon Cink and Umar Khalid ended their 38-day and 12-day hunger strikes for health reasons, Prisoners For Palestine said; both were admitted to hospital and have since been discharged back to prison.

open image in gallery

HMP Pentonville prisoner Kamran Ahmed, who has refused to eat for 42 days, said dying for his cause would be “worthwhile” in a telephone interview from his cell on Friday with The Sunday Times.

Ahmed, 28, from London, is accused of breaking into the UK site of an Israel-based defence firm near Patchway, Bristol, with sledgehammers in August 2024, causing £1 million of damage.

He told The Sunday Times: “Every day I’m scared that potentially I might die.

“I’ve been getting chest pains regularly… There have been times where I felt like I’m getting tasered – my body’s vibrating or shaking. I’ll basically lose control of my feelings.

“I’ve been scared since the seventh day when my blood sugars dropped. The nurse said: ‘I’m scared you’re not going to wake up (when you go to sleep). Please eat something.’

“But I’m looking at the bigger picture of perhaps we can relieve oppression abroad and relieve the situations for my co-defendants… Yes, I’m scared of passing away. Yes, this may have lifelong implications. But I look at the risk versus reward. I see it as worthwhile.

Almost 900 health professionals have written to Deputy Prime Minister and Justice Secretary David Lammy, Health Secretary Wes Streeting, senior NHS officials and senior prison officials to call for the activities to get medical attention.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has previously said the “rules and procedures” are being followed, after facing questions in the Commons about why his ministers had refused to meet with representatives of those striking.

Prisons minister Lord Timpson has previously said the service is “very experienced” at dealing with hunger strikes and has “robust and working” systems in place and the Prison Service “will not be meeting” any prisoners or their representatives.