Greens deputy Mothin Ali to visit hunger strikers in prison

Green party joint deputy leader Mothin Ali will visit the ‘Filton 24’ hunger-striking political prisoners today. Amu Gib and Qesser Zuhrah have been held in Bronzefield prison for more than a year without trial after being accused of direct anti-genocide action against privately-owned spy planes at RAF Brize Norton last year.

Ali will visit Zuhrah and Gib, who have been on hunger strike for more than a month in protest at the Starmer regime’s use of anti-terror legislation to hold them and their colleagues, despite none of them being charged with terror offences.

British-owned planes been used over 600 times in operations assisting Israel’s genocide in Gaza. And, the planes allegedly damaged by activists were back in operation within days. The Starmer government used supposed repair costs in the millions to justify its ban of non-violent Palestine Action as a terror group. But, an investigation from Declassified found that the government is currently unable to support where those figures have come from.

Mothin Ali shows solidarity to prisoners

Starmer and his Home Secretaries, following a string of acquittals of PA activists after juries accepted that they were acting to prevent a greater crime, have begun ‘making the process the punishment’ as a deterrent, as well as imposing the terror ban on PA specifically. These political punishments and the hunger strikes in protest against them have, unconscionably, been ignored by the ‘mainstream’ media.

Ali said of his visit and the long political imprisonments:

Let’s call this out for what it is: Amu Gib, Qesser Zuhrah and four other prisoners being detained for alleged direct action at RAF Brize Norton are political prisoners. They are being held in appalling conditions and must immediately be released on bail and be granted the right to a swift and fair trial. There must be no compromise on this for any political calculations.

Rightly, these political prisoners are demanding the closure of Elbit Systems, Israel’s largest weapons manufacturer, which supplies at least 85% of the land army equipment and drones used by the Israeli military in Gaza.

Elbit’s UK activities are subsidised by the UK government and the company has had high-level meetings with Labour. There is evidence of Elbit’s involvement in UK proscription and terror legislation impacting this case. We demand the release of all redacted documents and disclosure of meetings between UK, Israeli, and Elbit officials, to ensure a fair and transparent process.​

An urgent letter to Green parliamentarians and the party’s leadership has been opened. Supporters are asked to sign it here.

Featured image via the Canary