UK hunger striker Heba Muraisi: ‘I think about how or when I could die’

London, United Kingdom – Heba Muraisi, a Palestine Action-affiliated activistic who has refused nutrient for 72 days successful prison, has told Al Jazeera that she “no longer feels hunger”, is suffering with symptom and knows that her decease whitethorn beryllium imminent.

The 31-year-old responded to questions via a person who regularly visits her successful New Hall situation successful bluish England.

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“Physically, I americium deteriorating arsenic the days spell by. I nary longer consciousness hunger, I consciousness pain,” Muraisi said. “I don’t deliberation astir my life, I deliberation astir however oregon erstwhile I could die, but contempt this, mentally I’ve ne'er been stronger, much determined and sure, and astir importantly, I consciousness calm and a large consciousness of ease.”

Muraisi was arrested connected November 19, 2024, implicit her alleged engagement successful a break-in months earlier astatine the UK subsidiary of the Israeli defence steadfast Elbit Systems successful Bristol.

If she survives, she volition person spent astatine slightest a twelvemonth and a fractional successful situation earlier her proceedings date, which is reportedly owed nary earlier than June this twelvemonth – good beyond the UK’s accustomed six-month pre-trial detention limit.

She is the longest-fasting hunger striker of a radical of 8 activists who person joined the rolling protestation since aboriginal November. Four are presently refusing food, including Muraisi and Kamran Ahmed, a 28-year-old who has not eaten for much than 2 months.

“Even though the risks whitethorn beryllium lifelong consequences oregon a devastating end, I deliberation it’s important to combat for justness and for freedom,” she told Al Jazeera.

‘I tin nary longer work similar however I utilized to’

In caller weeks, the British media has intensified its sum of the situation protest, said to beryllium the largest coordinated hunger onslaught successful British past since 1981, erstwhile Irish Republican inmates were led by Bobby Sands. Sands died connected the 66th time of his protest, becoming a awesome of the Irish Republican cause. Nine others besides died of starvation.

“I’m choosing to proceed this due to the fact that for the archetypal clip successful 15 months, I’m yet being heard,” said Muraisi.

A Londoner of Yemeni root who had worked arsenic a florist and lifeguard, Muraisi is reportedly suffering from musculus spasms, breathlessness, terrible symptom and a debased achromatic humor compartment count. She has been admitted to infirmary 3 times implicit the past 9 weeks.

At times, she has mislaid the quality to speak, and her representation is declining, friends who person precocious visited her person said.

“Since concentrating has go gradually much difficult, I tin nary longer work similar however I utilized to, truthful present I perceive to the vigor a lot,” she told Al Jazeera via the intermediary. “I emotion music, and it’s a shame I can’t get the CDs I want, but nevertheless I’m grateful to person songs playing.”

Last week, an exigency doc who is advising the hunger strikers told Al Jazeera that helium believes Muraisi and Ahmed person reached a captious signifier successful which decease and irreversible wellness harm are progressively likely.

Ahmed’s value has dropped to 56kg from the steadfast 74kg helium entered jailhouse at; helium is suffering from cardiac atrophy, oregon bosom shrinkage, thorax symptom and twitching, according to his sister, Shahmina Alam. His code is slurred, helium is present partially deaf successful his near ear, and his bosom complaint has intermittently fallen beneath 40bpm successful caller days, she said.

The radical of hunger striking activists are among 29 remand prisoners being held successful assorted jails implicit their alleged engagement successful the Bristol incidental and a break-in astatine the Royal Air Force (RAF) basal successful Oxfordshire. They contradict the charges against them.

Their protest demands see bail, the close to a just proceedings and the de-proscription of Palestine Action, which the UK successful July designated a “terrorist organisation”, putting it connected par with ISIL (ISIS) and al-Qaeda. They are calling for each Elbit sites to beryllium closed successful the UK and question an extremity to what they telephone censorship successful prison, accusing authorities of withholding mail, calls and books.

Muraisi has besides asked to beryllium returned to HMP Bronzefield successful Surrey arsenic HMP New Hall, wherever she was moved successful October, is astir 200 miles distant – overmuch further from home.

Palestine Action, which says it supports nonstop enactment without unit and accuses the UK authorities of complicity successful Israel’s atrocities, is warring against the proscription successful courts arsenic six of those charged successful the Bristol lawsuit are presently connected trial.

Asked if she tin entree quality astir Palestine from jail, Muraisi, who has household members successful Gaza, accused situation officials of “systematically” blocking articles and newspapers “sent successful for me”.

“Anything Palestine-related, including the publication We Are Not Numbers [an anthology of emerging writers from Gaza], has been deemed inappropriate. I trust connected those I telephone for news,” she said.

At the clip of publishing, neither the UK Ministry of Justice nor New Hall situation had responded to Al Jazeera’s petition for comment.