Teuta Hoxha, a 29-year-old woman from East Dulwich, southeast London, has become the center of mounting concern and controversy as she continues a hunger strike inside HMP Peterborough. Her protest, now nearing three weeks, has drawn urgent appeals from medical professionals and ignited debate over the treatment of prisoners awaiting trial—especially those linked to politically charged cases.
Hoxha’s ordeal began in November 2024, when she was arrested after police raided the flat of a family friend, Khadijah Knight, where she had been staying. The arrest was part of a broader crackdown following a high-profile raid on the Elbit Systems UK factory in Filton, Gloucestershire, in August 2024. Prosecutors allege that Hoxha, along with others associated with the activist group Palestine Action, participated in a ram-raid using a decommissioned prison van. The incident, which reportedly involved sledgehammers and whips, caused over £1 million in damage and left a police officer injured.
Elbit Systems UK, the target of the raid, is a defense contractor known for producing drones, warfare technology, and military software, including night-vision goggles for the British Army and software for the Royal Navy. According to The Observer, the raid has been cited as evidence that Palestine Action should be classified as a terrorist organization—a move that the UK Parliament formalized in July 2025. Since then, over 700 people have been arrested in connection with mass civil disobedience against the ban.
Hoxha, however, has not been charged with terrorism offenses. She faces charges of criminal damage, violent disorder, and aggravated burglary. The Crown Prosecution Service, at the time of charging, announced its intention to submit that the alleged offenses had “a terrorist connection.” Her trial is scheduled for April 2026 and is expected to last approximately two months. In the meantime, Hoxha has been held on remand—effectively in pre-trial detention—for nearly a year.
The conditions of her detention, and the response to her hunger strike, have alarmed many. More than 100 medical professionals have issued an urgent appeal to NHS England and the prison’s governor, warning that Hoxha is facing a “medical emergency” and requires immediate specialist care. A letter from the group described her as being at risk of cardiac arrest due to critically low blood sugar levels—measured at around 2.7—and warned of the dangers of sudden electrolyte disturbance and hypoglycemia. “Ms Hoxha has not, as far as we are aware, received the necessary daily clinical monitoring required for patients refusing food and is at risk of sudden electrolyte disturbance, hypoglycaemia and cardiac arrest,” the letter stated, according to The Observer.
Another letter, signed by 75 current and former medical professionals, also highlighted the risks to her life without proper treatment, including regular electrolyte supplementation. Hoxha reportedly received electrolytes for the first time on Friday, August 29, after 18 days without food. On August 21, she weighed just 50 kilograms, and medical experts insist she will need specialist oversight when she resumes eating to avoid further complications.
Hoxha’s hunger strike is not just about her own health. According to her supporters, she is protesting the loss of her recreational activities, her job as a library assistant, and the withholding of her mail—demands she views as fundamental to her dignity and autonomy. “When the state has taken your house, your job, nearly two years of your life, the natural disposition is to want to hold onto every little bit of autonomy,” Hoxha said in a written statement shared with The Observer. She added, “These past 14 days in HMP Peterborough, I’ve been called a terrorist, heard an officer tell another prisoner that supporting Palestine is terrorism, been accused of being part of a terrorist group and placed on report for saying ‘Free Palestine’. This is about rejecting the attacks on my character that happen with every decision made by the system.”
Her sister, Rahma, just 17, has been a vocal advocate for Hoxha’s well-being. She described the prison as “a cesspit of boredom” and recounted how Hoxha has been repeatedly labeled a terrorist by staff and told she belongs to a terrorist group. “Everything is a struggle,” Rahma said, highlighting the psychological toll of prolonged remand and the stigma attached to her sister’s alleged activism.
Family friend Khadijah Knight, a retired teacher, echoed these concerns, noting that Hoxha’s treatment had deteriorated since her transfer from HMP Bronzefield to Peterborough—the very day MPs voted to proscribe Palestine Action. Knight observed, “She looks a lot thinner ... I think she now realises that they actually don’t care whether she lives or dies, so she’s not going to give up until they respond to the demands.”
The situation has grown more dire in recent days. Hoxha began to develop a temperature, suffered persistent headaches, and was unable to keep down vitamins—leading her to cancel a scheduled social visit due to illness. Supporters say these symptoms underscore the urgency of her medical needs and the risk her protest poses to her life.
Authorities at HMP Peterborough, operated by Sodexo, have responded cautiously to the mounting scrutiny. A spokesperson stated, “We cannot provide information about specific individuals, however we can confirm that all prisoners have full access to meals. Any prisoner refusing food receives regular medical assessment and support from clinicians, as well as being offered mental health support. This is in line with policies and regulations applied across the whole prison estate. We can also confirm that we offer a wide range of education and employment opportunities within the prison. While not every opportunity is suitable for all prisoners, there are options for everyone.” NHS England, which is responsible for healthcare in prisons, emphasized that providers are required to deliver care in line with national specifications, including increased clinical monitoring for patients refusing food and fluids.
The case has become a flashpoint in a broader debate about the criminalization of activism, the proscription of political groups, and the duty of care owed to prisoners—especially those who have not been convicted. The fact that Hoxha has been held on remand for nearly a year, with her trial still months away, has raised questions about the use of pre-trial detention in politically sensitive cases.
Meanwhile, the context outside the prison walls remains fraught. The ban on Palestine Action as a terrorist organization has led to mass arrests and heightened tensions around pro-Palestine activism in the UK. The raid on Elbit Systems UK, and the subsequent legal proceedings, have become emblematic of the polarized debate over the UK’s relationship with Israel, the arms trade, and the limits of protest.
For now, Teuta Hoxha’s hunger strike continues—a stark reminder of the human stakes at the intersection of politics, justice, and health. Whether her demands will be met, or her health will recover, remains uncertain. But her case has already forced a reckoning over how Britain treats those caught between activism and the law, and what price is paid when autonomy and dignity are on the line.
