LONDON, 13 Nov. - (ANA) - 28 prisoners are currently being held in UK prisons without trial for allegedly taking part in actions claimed by Palestine action. They are known as the Filton 24 and the Brize Norton Five. Most will be held for two years without trial - exceeding the six month pre-trial custody limit - because the Crown Prosecution Service is claiming there is a “terrorist connection” on the basis of criminal damage.

 

However no charges have been brought under the Terrorism Act against these prisoners and the actions took place before Palestine Action was proscribed by the government.

 

As far back as November 2024 United Nations special rapporteurs raised their concerns over prison treatment due to the alleged “terrorist connection” in a letter to the UK government saying: “we are concerned by the effect of the security limitations on the activists’ access to medication, right to communicate with the outside world, and right to exercise cultural and religious rights while on remand, which may constitute violate [sic] international human rights law.”

 

Six of these prisoners are now on a rolling hunger strike. The hunger strike started on Saturday 2nd November - Balfour Day - with two people after the Home Secretary failed to respond to their demands including immediate bail, access to documents necessary for the right to a fair trial and the de-proscription of Palestine Action. The strike is “rolling” because more people continue to join the strike as their demands remain unmet.

 

On Tuesday Zarah Sultana MP wrote to Justice Secretary David Lammy in support of Palestine Action prisoners release.

 

According to Ministry of Justice guidelines, hunger strikers are supposed to be given a "full initial medical assessment" on the first day of a strike. Yet repeated requests for electrolytes and medical attention by hunger strikers have been refused by the prison authorities.

 

Sean Middlebrough, who is one of the Filton 24, failed to return to prison after being given bail to attend his brother’s wedding. Sean says he is not “on the run” but that he is “refusing to be held as a prisoner of war of Israel in a British prison.” Of the hunger strikers he said: “They are the best of us, and we must rally behind their fight.”

 

In August of this year T Hoxa of the Filton 24 went on hunger strike for 28 days, eventually winning most of her demands.

 

According to Prisoners For Palestine, most of the 33 activists are expected to join the strike in coming weeks, in what could become the largest coordinated prisoners’ hunger strike since the 1981 Irish hunger strike led by Bobby Sands.     - (ANA) -

 

AB/ANA/13 November 2025 - - -