Two Palestine Action protesters have ended a 73-day hunger strike, bringing an end to a prolonged protest that has captured public attention. Heba Muraisi and Kamran Ahmed, who are awaiting trial, made the decision to end their protest at their respective prisons. The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has remained silent on the matter for the past two months, but previously acknowledged the hunger strikes as reported by supporters. Four other detainees, who joined the strike in early November, also ceased their protests last month. All of them were protesting against the extended period of remand ahead of trials, which can last up to a year due to court backlogs. The situation has raised concerns about the treatment of prisoners and the right to protest under human rights law. The BBC reports that Kamran Ahmed was taken to the hospital in a critical condition earlier on Wednesday. The pair have now undergone medical re-feeding treatment, as outlined by guidelines for managing hunger strikes in prisons. A seventh detainee, who was protesting every other day due to a health condition, has also ended their protest. During the protest, the group made five demands, including lifting the ban on Palestine Action, closing an Israeli-owned defense firm, and addressing prison conditions and treatment. The ban on the organization was already under review by senior judges, and bail decisions are made by judges, not the government. Lawyers for the hunger strikers threatened legal action over their treatment shortly before Christmas, but ministers refused to meet the protesters. The government offered to facilitate a meeting between the protesters' representatives and medical professionals, which the protesters accepted two weeks later. The MoJ has denied claims of medical mistreatment, and the Care Quality Commission has not opened any investigation. It confirmed that its experts had spoken to medical staff at HMP Bronzefield, one of the prisons involved in the protest. Hunger strikes are recognized as a form of protest under human rights law, and the state is prohibited from forcibly feeding a prisoner unless doctors determine they lack the mental capacity to understand the consequences of their actions. If a prisoner understands the risk of death and has expressed their wishes clearly, doctors will not provide food, even if it would save their life.
