Palestine Action activist ends 60-day hunger strike due to failing health

Activist Teuta Hoxha has ended her hunger strike in the United Kingdom after more than two months without food. The 29-year-old had been demanding immediate bail and a fair trial, and was reported to be in serious condition by Prisoners For Palestine. According to the group’s Instagram post on Monday, Hoxha needs urgent medical care due to refeeding syndrome, a potentially fatal condition that can occur when nutrition is restarted too quickly.

Hoxha paused her protest after being denied proper treatment by prison authorities. The hunger strike was part of a larger action by Palestine Action members who were jailed over alleged involvement in break-ins at Elbit Systems facilities in the UK and an RAF base in Oxfordshire. The prisoners deny the charges, which include burglary and violent disorder.

Only three of eight Palestine Action hunger strikers remain on strike, with Heba Muraisi, Kamran Ahmed, and Lewie Chiaramello continuing to refuse food. They have made five demands, including immediate bail, a fair trial, an end to censorship of their communications, de-proscription of Palestine Action, and the closure of Elbit Systems factories in the UK.

The British government had previously voted to proscribe Palestine Action as a terrorist organization, but the decision is being challenged in court. Over 1,600 people have been arrested in connection with support for Palestine Action since near-weekly protests began.

Source: Al Jazeera