UN Experts Warn of Grave Risk to UK Pro-Palestinian Hunger Strikers

Emphasising the State’s legal and moral responsibilities, the experts stated that the duty of care owed by the State is heightened, not diminished, in cases involving hunger strikers.

United Nations human rights experts have expressed grave concern over the lives, health, and fundamental rights of eight pro-Palestinian activists imprisoned in the United Kingdom, who have been on an indefinite hunger strike since 2 November. The experts warned that the situation has reached a critical stage and requires urgent action by UK authorities.

In a strongly worded statement, the experts noted that hunger strikes are often a measure of last resort, undertaken when individuals believe that their rights to protest, justice, and effective remedies have been exhausted. As the hunger strike enters its second month, reports indicate a serious deterioration in the detainees' health, placing them at heightened risk of life-threatening complications such as organ failure, irreversible neurological damage, cardiac arrhythmias, and even death.

Emphasising the State's legal and moral responsibilities, the experts stated that the duty of care owed by the State is heightened, not diminished, in cases involving hunger strikers. They stressed that authorities must ensure timely access to emergency and hospital care, avoid any form of pressure, coercion, or retaliation, and strictly adhere to medical ethics.

Recalling international human rights standards, the experts underlined that the right to health applies equally to persons deprived of their liberty. States, they said, must respect individual autonomy, provide continuous and independent medical monitoring, ensure detainees receive accurate information about health risks, and take all necessary steps to protect life and prevent irreversible harm—without resorting to punitive or coercive measures.

The experts also raised serious concerns about the treatment of the hunger strikers, citing reports of delays in access to medical care, the use of excessive restraints during hospital treatment, denial of contact with family members and legal counsel, and the absence of consistent independent medical oversight. Particular alarm was expressed regarding detainees with pre-existing serious health conditions, whose vulnerability is further compounded by prolonged fasting.

"These reports raise serious questions about the United Kingdom's compliance with international human rights law," the experts said, referring specifically to obligations related to the protection of life and the prohibition of cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment.

The experts also recalled that they have previously raised concerns with the UK Government regarding the application of counter-terrorism and security frameworks to acts of political protest that do not meet international standards for terrorism. They warned against the criminalisation of peaceful political activism, including actions protected under the rights to freedom of expression, assembly, and association, and cautioned against the suppression of legitimate dissent related to Palestine.

Further concern was expressed over the broad definition of terrorism under UK law, the proscription of Palestine Action under the Terrorism Act 2000, and the resulting mass arrests and terrorism-related charges brought against individuals for alleged support of the group.

"These hunger strikes must be understood within the broader context of increasing restrictions on pro-Palestinian activism in the UK," the experts said, noting that the detainees are being held in connection with protest-related activities.

Urging immediate intervention, the experts called on the United Kingdom to guarantee appropriate and adequate healthcare for all hunger strikers, initiate meaningful dialogue with the detainees, address their claims, and take concrete steps to end the repression of Palestine-related activism.

"Preventable deaths in custody are never acceptable," the experts warned. "The State bears full responsibility for the lives and wellbeing of those it detains. Urgent action is required now."

The UN experts affirmed their readiness to engage constructively with the UK Government and stated that they will continue to closely monitor the situation.