On Monday morning, as breakfast trays arrived at HMP New Hall in Wakefield, Heba Muraisi refused food, becoming the third prisoner to join an open-ended hunger strike that is challenging the government’s weaponisation and abuse of Britian’s legal system.
Heba joined 20-year-old Qesser Zuhrah and 30-year-old Amu Gibb, who launched the Prisoners for Palestine rolling hunger the day before at Bronzefield prison chosen to mark Balfour Day. The three are among 33 pro-Palestine prisoners currently held on remand in British prisons, many facing trial dates more than a year away.
A Violent Arrest and Punitive Transfer
Heba was arrested in a dawn raid a year ago in November 2024, as part of the third wave of arrests, allegedly connected to a direct action on Elbit Systems’ research centre at Filton, Bristol, which prosecutors claim caused over £1 million in damage to the Israeli weapons manufacturer’s facility. The weapons factory makes drone parts for use by Israeli occupation forces in Ghazzah. Initially held and interrogated under counter-terrorism powers, Heba was then remanded in custody for a non-terrorism related offence, making her one of the #Filton24.
In prison, Heba’s treatment has been systematically punitive. Her kuffiyeh, a traditional square-shaped cotton headdress, was confiscated by prison officers, despite Heba explaining she wears it as a hijab during prayers. In October 2025, in what campaigners describe as a flagrant punishment move known as ‘ghosting’, Heba was forcibly transferred from HMP Bronzefield to HMP New Hall, hundreds of miles away from her family and support system.
According to Audrey, activist, former prisoner, and spokesperson for Prisoners for Palestine who spent time in Bronzefield, the transfer to New Hall represents deliberate isolation. “This is outrageous because this is so far from her whole family and support network. Everyone she knows and all her loved ones are in London,” Audrey explained. “We understand this transfer to New Hall, in West Yorkshire, as a punitive measure to make her feel even more isolated than she already was in Bronzefield, where she was in a separate house block, away from the other Palestine activists.”
So far, Heba seems to have been spared the aggressive response by prison authorities that was triggered by Qesser’s Sunday hunger strike announcement. Some inside Bronzefield have begun to share what transpired.
Qesser – Confined Amidst Calls of Solidarity
Around 5:15pm on Sunday – the afternoon before the hunger strike began – both Qesser and Amu informed prison guards they would be refusing food in the morning. What happened next revealed a stark disparity in treatment.
On Qesser’s landing, other prisoners gathered as she made the announcement. Guards pressed the alarm bell, bringing half a dozen officers running to the scene, and Qesser was physically bundled into her cell amid the cries and protests of the other prisoners expressing support for her. Guards then placed Qesser on ‘report’ for a breach of prison ‘discipline’.
According to Audrey, “When Qesser announced her hunger strike, the guards pressed the panic button and immediately forced her into her cell. The entire wing was supporting her, yelling at the guards.”
In contrast, when Amu Gibb announced the same intention, there was minimal reaction from guards. “The clear difference here is that Amu is white and Qesser is brown,” said Audrey, who has spoken with people inside Bronzefield.
By Tuesday morning, now on day three of her hunger strike, Qesser was denied access to the prison gym. But the repression has extended beyond physical restrictions. Qesser also discovered she had been placed under a non-association order, separating her from Amu.
Audrey, a friend of Qesser’s said: “She [Qesser] is definitely feeling really down and very angry. Her body seems okay. She hasn’t reported any pain so far. We’re still on day three, but of course if this continues and if the government’s lack of response continues, then we anticipate things will be a lot worse in a few days’ time.”
Life Behind Bars
Audrey’s own experience in Bronzefield provides a window into the daily reality facing hunger strikers. Contrary to assumptions about remand prisoners, who legally should not be forced to work before conviction, the reality is different: “The rules say if you’re on remand, you’re supposed to not be forced to work. But effectively you are, because if you don’t have a job, then you’re locked in all day, basically, and not given any association time. So, you’re more or less forced to get a job and to contribute to the prison economy.”
A typical day at Bronzefield begins at 7:30am when cells are unlocked for breakfast and showers. There are four ‘movement slots’ throughout the day which accommodate various activities: gym sessions, work assignments, cleaning duties, or kitchen work preparing food for other prisoners or the visitors’ café.
“On weekdays, we were locked up at 6:30pm. In Bronzefield, the Prisoners for Palestine don’t share a cell because they’re considered high-risk prisoners, and this means spending those long hours alone.”
Tonight, like every night since their arrest, Qesser and Amu will be alone and isolated for thirteen hours.
Government Silence and Public Action
Despite a letter sent to Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood on October 20th outlining the prisoners’ demands – including release on bail, an end to prison censorship, and the right to a fair trial – there has been no response from the government. Copies were sent to the Crown Prosecution Service, the Attorney General’s Office, the Ministry of Justice, HM Prison and Probation Service, and the Ministry of Defence. All have remained silent.
“We’ve received no response, which is obviously outrageous, considering that there are multiple prisoners and more to come who are putting their lives on the line,” Audrey said. “But we know that this is unignorable. We know that this has already received so much coverage, that prisons will already be very on edge. We will make this unignorable for them.”
To force a response, supporters mobilised a phone blockade of the Ministry of Justice on Tuesday. The tactic flooded government switchboards.
As Heba enters her third day without food at New Hall, Qesser and Amu their fourth day at Bronzefield, and more prisoners prepare to join them, the question facing the government grows more urgent – how long can they ignore activists willing to risk their lives for a demand that should be fundamental, the right to a fair and timely trial?
— © 2025 Sul Nowroz – Real Media staff writer – Insta: @TheAfghanWriter
