Palestine Action activist at risk of death after beginning thirst strike in UK jail
A British campaign group has warned that a detained Palestine Action activist could die after stepping up his protest to a thirst strike, 13 days after resuming a hunger strike.
Muhammed Umer Khalid, who suffers from the rare genetic disorder Limb-Girdle Muscular Dystrophy, faces “heightened risks” due to his condition, according to campaign group Prisoners for Palestine. Khalid has reportedly told prison staff not to intervene if he loses consciousness.
Dr. Rupa Marya, speaking through the group, said that with no fluid intake, “typically people die of acute kidney failure and other derangements within 3 to 4 days.” She added that with Khalid’s underlying condition, he is “at increased risk of death even sooner.”
“By Monday, if the UK government continues to stall, we can expect this young man to be well in the process of dying if not dead,” Marya warned.
Khalid is calling for immediate bail, an end to censorship in prison, and a full inquiry into British involvement in Israel’s genocidal war in Gaza. He also demands the release of surveillance footage from British Royal Air Force (RAF) spy flights over Gaza on April 1, 2024, when British aid workers were killed in an Israeli attack.
Khalid said he only escalated to a thirst strike after his attempts to engage the government on these issues were ignored.
In December, he paused a 12-day hunger strike due to his declining health. His trial is scheduled for January 2027, by which time he will have spent a year and a half in prison.
Prisoners for Palestine warned that several activists who ended a 73-day hunger strike in recent weeks are now experiencing symptoms of refeeding syndrome, a potentially life-threatening condition that can occur when food is reintroduced after prolonged malnutrition. Several hunger strikers have been hospitalized since the protests began on November 2.
Palestine Action activists are facing charges they deny, linked to actions carried out before the group was banned as a “terrorist organization” by the UK government.
Since the ban, hundreds across the UK have been arrested for opposing the proscription and holding placards reading, “I oppose genocide, I support Palestine Action.”
The campaigners say the charges are politically motivated and intended to silence opposition to the UK government’s support for Israel.
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