In a stark cell at HMP Peterborough, 29-year-old T. Hoxha, a member of the so-called Filton 24, has entered the 22nd day of a hunger strike that has drawn international attention and ignited debate about the treatment of political prisoners in the United Kingdom and beyond. Hoxha’s protest, sparked by the suspension of her recreational activities, removal from her prison library job, and the withholding of her mail, has left her family and supporters gravely concerned for her health, as her condition continues to deteriorate with each passing day.
According to Middle East Eye, Hoxha has been on remand since November 2024, awaiting trial scheduled for April 2026. She faces charges linked to an August 2024 direct action in which activists from the now-proscribed group Palestine Action allegedly drove a modified van into the research and development hub of Elbit Systems in Filton, Bristol, causing an estimated €1 million in damages. While the initial charges were terrorism-related, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has since indicated it will pursue non-terror charges such as aggravated burglary and criminal damage, but intends to argue in court that the offenses have a “terrorist connection,” potentially aggravating any sentence.
Hoxha’s family, speaking to Middle East Eye, described a rapid and alarming decline in her health. “She’s developed a rash and jaw ache on her left side,” a family member reported, requesting anonymity. “She is constantly nauseous and needs to get up very slowly otherwise her blood pressure drops and she needs to raise her legs up to get the blood circulating back round her head.” The family further revealed that while Hoxha tries to drink a liter of water a day, “as the hunger strike has progressed, she’s struggling to finish even 500 ml a day.”
Medical oversight, according to the family, was delayed. Prison officials failed to log her hunger strike until August 19, eight days after it began, resulting in a late start to regular healthcare checks. Electrolytes, essential for those refusing food, were only provided on the 19th despite repeated requests from the outset. By August 25, healthcare staff measured Hoxha’s ketone levels at 3.5 mmol/L—well above the threshold that signals risk for diabetic ketoacidosis, a potentially life-threatening condition. Her blood sugar had dropped to 2.9 mmol/L, dangerously low by any clinical standard. A nurse reportedly tried to have Hoxha sign a waiver accepting responsibility for her own health, but she refused.
On August 27, Hoxha’s symptoms intensified: she developed a fever, persistent headache, vomiting after taking vitamins, and skin discoloration. A nurse practitioner declared her to be in the “danger zone,” prompting supporters to call for her urgent admission to a hospital. As of August 28, these pleas had not been met, and Hoxha’s supporters organized a call-in campaign demanding the prison administration provide her with electrolyte sachets and meet her demands, including reinstating her library job and delivering her withheld mail.
The case has not remained confined to the UK. Across the Atlantic, in California’s Santa Rita Jail, US political prisoner Casey Goonan—who faces up to 20 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to setting fire to a police vehicle during a pro-Palestine protest—launched their own hunger strike on August 27 in solidarity with Hoxha. Goonan, who is diabetic and has previously organized collective hunger strikes, declared in a statement: “As captives imprisoned for our participation in the Palestinian liberation movement in the West, we have a responsibility to each other across borders to pursue our lives in prison with the same steadfastness as the Palestinian prisoners movement held captive in Israeli prisons.”
Goonan’s act of solidarity, undertaken with a cellmate, has further internationalized the protest. They stated their intention to remain on hunger strike until Hoxha’s demands are met, underscoring the sense of transnational connection among political prisoners supporting the Palestinian cause. Their sentencing hearing, originally scheduled for April 2025, has been postponed to September 23, 2025. Goonan is being prosecuted with a “terrorism enhancement,” a legal tool that, as reported by CounterPunch, grants the federal government wide latitude to impose harsher sentences and conditions.
The UK’s response to Palestine Action has grown increasingly severe. On July 4, 2025, the government proscribed the group under anti-terror laws, equating it with organizations such as al-Qaeda and ISIS. As Middle East Eye notes, it is now a criminal offense in Britain to express support for or invite support for Palestine Action, punishable by up to 14 years in prison. Despite this, hundreds have defied the ban, holding rallies with placards that read: “I oppose genocide. I support Palestine Action.” The Metropolitan Police have charged 114 people with Terrorism Act offenses linked to support for the group.
Within HMP Peterborough, the punitive climate has intensified since the proscription. Hoxha was removed from her library job on August 1 without explanation. According to her lawyer, Katie McFadden, prison officials initially claimed the move was to prevent contact with co-defendants, but later suggested her job would allow her to influence other prisoners. Hoxha was also barred from recreational classes, including her book club and creative writing sessions, and informed that her mail was being withheld. McFadden described the effect on her client: “She was just put in a position where she felt so powerless. And when people become powerless, they get really desperate, and she is now fundamentally undermining her long-term health, because it’s the only way that she can do something. It’s the only little bit of power that she currently has. It’s devastating to watch.”
Legal representatives for Palestine Action prisoners have documented a pattern of discriminatory treatment. Simon Pook, another lawyer for the group, told Middle East Eye that mail and visits are often withheld arbitrarily, sometimes with the head of security present during family visits. Prison staff have allegedly warned other inmates that associating with Palestine Action prisoners could result in loss of privileges. “There appears to be a discriminatory practice of saying to other prisoners: these are terrorists, and if you are seen talking to them, you will face a sanction and we will mark you down on the system,” Pook said.
HMP Peterborough, when contacted for comment, stated: “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.” The prison also asserted it offers “a wide range of education and employment opportunities within the prison,” though not every opportunity is suitable for all prisoners.
Amid these developments, the broader Palestine solidarity movement in the West faces scrutiny for what some see as insufficient support for its imprisoned activists. As Goonan’s supporters wrote, “Solidarity is actions, not words.” The call for action is clear: advocates are urging the public to contact HMP Peterborough and demand that Hoxha’s basic rights be restored and her health safeguarded.
As Hoxha and Goonan’s hunger strikes continue, their bodies growing weaker, their protest stands as a stark reminder of the personal costs borne by those who challenge state power in the name of political conviction. The outcome of their struggle, and the response it elicits from authorities and supporters alike, may well shape the future of political dissent and prisoner solidarity on both sides of the Atlantic.
