David Lammy ‘waiting for us to die’, Palestine hunger striker claims

A pro-Palestine activist on hunger strike in a London prison has said the government is “just waiting for one of us to pass away”.

Kamran Ahmed, who has not eaten for over two months, told Declassified on Sunday that his body was “twitching” uncontrollably and he fears heart failure.

“If I pass out while I have this twitching, I can’t move. I’d probably just end up staying frozen on my bed,” unable to press the alarm button in his cell.

Ahmed, who spoke to Declassified by phone from Pentonville prison, described having chest pains and being on the brink of fainting.

The mechanic from east London has been hospitalised six times since going on hunger strike 64 days ago.

He is protesting at being denied bail following his arrest for an alleged break-in by Palestine Action at an Elbit System factory in 2024.

Elbit is Israel’s largest arms firm and provides 85% of the drones used by Israel’s army in Gaza.

Ahmed was arrested in November 2024 and his trial is not expected to start until June 2026.

Prosecution guidelines say prisoners should normally not be held on remand for more than six months.

Ahmed is among a number of Palestine Action suspects on remand beyond that time limit.

Eight have gone on hunger strike but Ahmed is one of the last still refusing food.

“I thought they would actually negotiate,” Ahmed replied, when asked about the stance of justice secretary David Lammy.

“I genuinely thought they would have negotiated by now, [or] at least meet some of the demands.”

“It seems that they are not willing to do anything really, they are just waiting for one of us to pass away.”

Another prisoner, Heba Muraisi, has not eaten for 71 days.

The Palestine Action hunger strike has drawn parallels with the protest by Bobby Sands and other IRA prisoners in 1981.

Ten Republicans died after going without food for between 46 and 71 days.

Ahmed’s sister, Shahmina Alam, told Declassified: “To watch your brother fading away – it’s hard and it’s painful.

“I don’t want to think that I could be burying my brother when he’s my younger brother. He was supposed to outlive me.

“A doctor told him that the muscles around his heart are shrinking…they’ve got concerns that he could go into a sudden cardiac arrest. The fear of him passing away was always there, but that made that fear that much closer.”

She said the family had “done everything within our power” to raise the case among ministers but “they all say the same thing”.

Alam confronted Lammy in public last month but felt his responses had been “insulting” and a “disgrace to his humanity”.

Prisons minister Lord Timpson told ITV News he wanted the hunger strikers to “start eating and get better”.

The Ministry of Justice was asked to comment.