"A lot of the times it feels like you're being suffocated. Lots of things change about you, the condition of your skin, you start to turn grey, both in terms of the hue of your skin but also you notice more grey hairs, everything manifests physically, says Teuta Hoxha, 29, awaiting trial at HMP Peterborough. There are days where it feels very, very heavy on the mind and on the shoulders."
"But from my end, and I think for my comrades, we remain strong mentally and determined. On Saturday, Hoxha will be on day 42 of her hunger strike with other Palestine Action-linked prisoners, amid increasing fears for their health. Most of the group are being held on remand over alleged criminal damage, aggravated burglary and violent disorder at a factory for the Israeli arms manufacturer Elbit systems in Filton, near Bristol."
"You get to the stage where you're constantly reminded of the big and irreversible changes that happen with prolonged starvation. It is something that plays on the mind, she says. She cites the possibility of blindness, organ failure and brain damage: Basically everything that brings you autonomy and has given us the ability to go on hunger strike, we're at risk of losing that."
A prisoner awaiting trial reports physical changes and severe mental strain during a prolonged hunger strike. The hunger strike reached day 42 as multiple Palestine Action-linked detainees remain on remand amid growing health concerns. Most detainees are accused of criminal damage, aggravated burglary and violent disorder at an Elbit Systems factory and have been held for over a year, exceeding the usual six-month pre-trial limit. Demands include immediate bail, lifting the ban on Palestine Action and restoration of communication rights, which detainees link to proscription and to being treated as terrorists. Several hunger strikers have required repeated hospital treatment.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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