Dozens of international writers and scholars — including Naomi Klein, Sally Rooney, Angela Davis, Judith Butler and George Monbiot — have signed a declaration supporting UK activists who are on hunger strike. Heba Muraisi and Kamran Ahmed have been fasting for 71 and 64 days; Lewie Chiaramello is fasting intermittently because of Type 1 diabetes. The detainees demand bail, a fair trial, reversal of the group's “terrorist” designation and the closure of Elbit sites in the UK as their health rapidly deteriorates.
Dozens Of Writers Back Hunger-Striking UK Activists Demanding Justice Over Palestine
A protester during a demonstration outside the UK's Ministry of Justice in London on November 20, 2025 [AFP]
Dozens of prominent writers, academics and activists have signed a public declaration in solidarity with UK prisoners who are on hunger strike after being arrested in actions linked to the proscribed group Palestine Action.
Who Is Involved
Signatories include international figures such as Naomi Klein, Sally Rooney, Angela Davis, Judith Butler and George Monbiot. Their statement supports three British activists — Heba Muraisi, Kamran Ahmed and Lewie Chiaramello — who are refusing food until specific demands are met.
Current Situation
Heba Muraisi and Kamran Ahmed have been on hunger strike for 71 and 64 days, respectively, following protests that began in November. A third detainee, Lewie Chiaramello, is fasting on alternating days because he has Type 1 diabetes. Five of the eight people who took part in the initial protests have already ended their strikes for health reasons.
Charges, Detention And Demands
The three are being held in separate prisons pending trial on allegations that include burglary and violent disorder after alleged break‑ins at the UK arm of Israeli defence contractor Elbit Systems in Bristol and at a Royal Air Force base in Oxfordshire. The activists deny the charges.
The hunger strikers’ demands include immediate bail, the right to a prompt and fair trial, reversal of the UK government’s decision to proscribe Palestine Action as a “terrorist organisation”, the closure of all Elbit sites in the UK and an end to what supporters describe as censorship inside prisons — including withheld mail, restricted phone calls and bans on books.
Legal And Humanitarian Concerns
All eight activists will have spent more than a year in custody without trial, exceeding the UK’s usual six‑month pre‑trial detention guideline. Their prolonged detention and the deteriorating health of those refusing food have prompted growing international pressure on British authorities to act to preserve lives and uphold due process.
Former hunger strikers from Ireland, Palestine and Guantánamo Bay have issued an urgent appeal calling on British ministers to meet families and legal representatives of the detained activists.
International Solidarity And Local Protests
Friends and relatives told Al Jazeera the prisoners remain resolved to continue the strike until their demands are met, despite rapidly worsening health. On New Year’s Eve, hundreds gathered in Belfast in solidarity with the hunger strikers, marching past murals on the Falls Road that pair Irish republican imagery with Palestinian art and poetry, including lines by the late Palestinian writer Refaat Alareer.
Context: The case touches on broader debates about protest, national security and the use of terrorism legislation against domestic activism. Supporters argue the arrests and prolonged pre‑trial detention raise serious human rights and free‑speech concerns; critics emphasize alleged criminal actions and public safety issues.
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