The Your Party co-founder says she won’t leave the prison until they allow an ambulance in
Zarah Sultana MP is at HMP Bronzefield this morning calling for a hunger-striking prisoner, Qesser Zuhrah, be transferred to hospital for urgent medical care.
Sultana has said that the prison is refusing an ambulance for Zuhrah.
In recent days, Zuhrah, who has been on hunger strike for 46 days, has reported having chest pains from her neck to her shoulder, shortness of breath, dizziness and shaking limbs.
Zuhrah has already been hospitalised once in the last week, but was reportedly discharged without a diagnosis or test results.
She is one of eight hunger-striking prisoners. Five were admitted to hospital last week.
The hunger-striking Palestine Action prisoners are awaiting trial. They are accused of being involved in actions targeting Elbit Systems, an Israeli weapons manufacturer and RAF Brize Norton base.
Four of the detainees have been in prison for over a year without trial, which exceeds the standard pre-custody limit of six months.
Yesterday, Jeremy Corbyn called on justice minister Jake Richards to meet with the hunger strikers’ lawyers. When Richards said “No”, some other MPs in the chamber could be heard laughing.
Corbyn said: “They should be ashamed of themselves.”
Last week, the speaker of the House of Commons, Lindsay Hoyle, said it was “totally unacceptable” that Lammy had failed to reply to a request from the Labour MP, John McDonnell, for a meeting with MPs to discuss the hunger strikers.
Sultana is the first MP to join the protest outside HMP Bronzefield.
Zarah Sultana protesting outside HMP Bronzefield this morning. Credit: Zarah Sultana/X
In posts on X, Sultana said she had contacted the justice secretary David Lammy and the health secretary Wes Streeting urging for them to intervene.
However, she said: “There has been no response.”
“She just needs an ambulance. If she dies, it will be on their hands,” Sultana added.
Sultana has said she won’t leave HMP Bronzefield until the prison transfers Zuhrah to hospital.
Three hours ago, Sultana posted: “We’re not going anywhere until HMP Bronzefield accept an ambulance transfer for Qesser to get the emergency healthcare she urgently needs.
“Join us if you can.”
In her latest update, the Coventry South MP wrote: “Let the ambulance into HMP Bronzefield now, @DavidLammy.
“Otherwise Qesser Zuhrah is going to die.”
Lawyers representing the prisoners have warned that the hunger strikers are likely to die without Lammy’s intervention, but the justice secretary is still refusing to meet them.
In 1981, Irish Republican Army (IRA) prisoners carried out a hunger strike in which 10 of them died. Some died after around 46 days without food, while others, including Bobby Sands, died after 66 days.
Olivia Barber is a reporter at Left Foot Forward
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