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United Nations human rights experts have called on the United Kingdom to safeguard the lives and rights of eight Palestinian solidarity activists who have been on an indefinite hunger strike in British detention facilities since early November.
The U.N. special rapporteurs issued a written statement expressing serious concern about the welfare of the protesters, who have now been refusing food for approximately two months. The activists were detained in connection with protest-related activities supporting Palestinians.
"We are calling on the United Kingdom to protect the lives and rights of pro-Palestinian detainees on hunger strike," the rapporteurs stated, describing hunger strikes as a last resort typically employed by individuals who believe their rights to protest and effective remedies have been exhausted.
The prolonged hunger strike has resulted in significant deterioration of the detainees' health conditions, according to the UN statement. Medical experts warn that the activists now face serious risks, including organ failure, irreversible neurological damage, cardiac arrhythmias, and death.
The rapporteurs emphasized that the British government's duty of care toward hunger strikers has not diminished but rather increased as their condition worsens.
Authorities must ensure timely access to emergency and hospital care when clinically necessary, the experts said, while avoiding actions that could constitute pressure or retaliation and respecting medical ethics standards.
The UN experts placed the hunger strikes within a wider context of restrictions on Palestinian solidarity activism in the UK. The statement noted that those detained were being held due to their participation in protest activities.
"Preventable deaths in detention are never acceptable," the rapporteurs declared. "The state bears full responsibility for the lives and well-being of those it detains. Urgent action is now required."
The special rapporteurs indicated their readiness to work constructively with the British government and confirmed they would continue monitoring the situation closely.
UN special rapporteurs operate as part of what are known as the "special mechanisms of the Human Rights Council." These independent information-gathering and monitoring bodies address either country-specific situations or thematic issues anywhere in the world. The experts work on a voluntary basis and maintain independence from the UN institution itself.
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