Families plead with Lammy over Palestine Action hunger strikers

Justice secretary under pressure as health of prisoners deteriorates

- Haroon Siddique Jessica Elgot

Families and supporters of Palestine Action-affiliated hunger strikers have pleaded with David Lammy to meet them in an attempt to end the impasse over the protest that has left some of them severely unwell.

Yesterday, as the protest reached a dangerous stage, lawyers for the hunger strikers sent a legal letter claiming that by refusing a meeting Lammy had failed to comply with the Ministry of Justice's own policy on handling hunger strikes.

The intervention came after three of the prisoners were simultaneously in hospital on Sunday: Qesser Zuhrah, 20, and Amu Gib, 30, who have both been refusing food for 51 days, and Kamran Ahmed, 28, who is on day 43 of his hunger strike.

For Ahmed, it was the third time he has been hospitalised, with his condition now beyond the point of urgency, his sister Shahmina Alam told the Guardian.

Asked if she had a message for the justice secretary, Alam said: "There's still time to do better, better for the citizens of the UK in ending the UK complicity in the ongoing genocide [by Israel in Gaza], by supporting the prisoners that are putting their lives on the line to ensure transparency and integrity in our justice and government systems.

“[Lammy] has a choice. He can say something and he can do something about this and meet with the solicitors or family members of the hunger strikers and he can show a bit of humanity?”