UN Rapporteurs Call on Britain to Protect the Lives of Palestine-Supporting Activists on Hunger Strike

UN rapporteurs called on Britain to protect the lives and rights of detained Palestine-supporting activists engaged in a hunger strike.

The UN rapporteurs noted in a written statement on Sunday that 8 Palestine-supporting activists in Britain continue an open-ended hunger strike since November 2.

The statement expressed the rapporteurs' deep concern for the lives of the detainees and their basic rights.

The statement added: "We call on Britain to protect the lives and rights of the detained Palestine-supporting hunger strikers."

It confirmed that hunger strikes are often the last resort for those who believe their right to protest and effective remedies have been exhausted.

The statement indicated that the health condition of the striking detainees, as they enter their second month, has deteriorated significantly, and they face serious health risks including organ failure, irreversible neurological damage, heart system disorders, and possibly death.

The statement called on British authorities to ensure timely access to emergency and hospital medical care for the strikers when necessary, avoid any measures that could be seen as pressure or retaliation, and respect medical ethics.

The rapporteurs emphasized the need to understand these strikes in a broader context of restrictions imposed on Palestine-supporting activities in Britain, noting that the detainees are held due to protest activities.

It affirmed that "the state is fully responsible for the lives and well-being of those it detains, and urgent action is needed now."

The rapporteurs expressed their readiness for effective cooperation with the British government and to closely monitor the situation.

The UN special rapporteurs are part of what is known as the special procedures mechanisms under the Human Rights Council.

These independent mechanisms are the main means of information gathering and monitoring relied upon by the Council to address human rights situations in specific countries or to tackle thematic issues anywhere in the world.

The experts within these mechanisms work independently and without pay, as volunteers outside the UN structure.