A mother’s nightmare unfolds in the stark reality of a British prison. Shabana, from Manchester, hasn’t heard her son Umer Khalid’s voice since Saturday, and a chilling fear grips her heart. He’s been on a thirst strike, refusing all fluids, and was reportedly taken to hospital Sunday morning – a silence that feels deafening to a worried parent.
“I am very worried, this is an absolute nightmare,” Shabana confessed, her voice laced with desperation. “I cannot sleep. I feel helpless. Not being able to speak to him and have that reassurance that he is ok is the worst.” She recalls their last conversation on Saturday, when Umer, already two days into his protest, simply mentioned a parched, “very dry mouth.”
Umer’s resolve, she says, is unwavering. Despite warnings – stark and terrifying warnings – from doctors about the rapid decline and potential for death within days, he remains steadfast. “He is not going to back down,” Shabana insists, highlighting her son’s dedication. “He fulfills whatever he says the best he can. He will do the best for everybody around him.”
The stakes are impossibly high. Dr. Qureshi, research director at an organization supporting those affected by counter-terrorism measures, paints a grim picture. A thirst strike, he explains, pushes the body to its absolute limit, typically no more than three or four days. Umer has already been on hunger strike for two weeks, compounding the danger.
“We’re just extremely worried that death is around the corner,” Dr. Qureshi stated, his concern palpable. “I’m genuinely worried he’ll get to a state where he might not survive.” The situation escalated when Umer was moved to a segregated part of the prison, prompting him to begin his thirst strike a day earlier than planned.
This isn’t a sudden act of defiance. Umer initially began a hunger strike in November, joining seven other prisoners protesting their detention related to alleged involvement in Palestine Action break-ins. While the others have since ended their protest, Umer continued, pausing briefly over Christmas due to illness, but ultimately resuming his fight.
The situation has spilled beyond the prison walls. Supporters clashed with police at HMP Wormwood Scrubs on Saturday night, resulting in eighty-six arrests for aggravated trespass. Shabana adds another layer of worry, noting her son’s phone was taken during the protest – a common occurrence – but the prolonged silence is deeply unsettling.
The body’s response to prolonged starvation is a terrifying cascade of physiological decline. In the first week, the heart rate slows, and the body begins to consume fat reserves. By days eight to fourteen, glycogen stores are depleted, releasing ammonia and slowing weight loss, but also impacting heart function.
Beyond fifteen days, the consequences become dire: collapse, bedridden weakness, relentless nightmares, and severely disturbed sleep. Historical accounts describe prisoners “raving all night” as their physical and mental health deteriorates. After twenty to seventy days, exhaustion is complete, consciousness fades, and the threshold of survival is reached – a limit tragically marked by a 74-day hunger strike in 1920.
Umer’s pre-existing condition – limb-girdle muscular dystrophy – adds another layer of vulnerability. This genetic disorder requires a nutrient-rich diet, particularly protein, making his current state even more perilous. Doctors have explicitly warned him that his thirst strike could prove fatal within days.
Experts emphasize the speed of decline without fluids. Dr. Rupa Marya warns that without intake, acute kidney failure and other complications typically lead to death within three to four days. Given Umer’s underlying health issues, that timeline could be even shorter.
Amnesty International has voiced urgent concerns, calling on the government to intervene. Kerry Moscogiuri, the organization’s Chief Executive, stressed the desperate situation and urged government representatives to meet with Umer’s lawyers immediately. She highlighted the misuse of terrorism powers that have led to prolonged detention without conviction.
The Ministry of Justice acknowledges the seriousness of the situation, stating that reports of fluid refusal are “extremely concerning.” They maintain that prisoners are being monitored by healthcare professionals, with regular checks, heart monitoring, and blood tests, and are receiving support to encourage them to resume eating and drinking. Hospitalization is considered when deemed necessary.
The situation remains critical, a desperate race against time as a mother’s worst fears materialize within the cold walls of a prison, and the world watches, hoping for a resolution before it’s too late.
