DAVID Lammy has been slammed for refusing to meet with MPs to discuss Palestine Action-affiliated hunger strikers in prison.
The Justice Secretary has ruled out a meeting with Jeremy Corbyn, who has raised the case of his constituent Amu Gib, who as of Thursday was on their 39th day of hunger strike.
In a letter to Corbyn, Lammy said it would not be “appropriate” to meet with the Islington North MP to discuss Gib’s case “when criminal proceedings are ongoing”.
He added: “As I am sure you will understand, whilst I appreciate that Ms Gib is a constituent of yours, you have written about her, rather than on behalf of her at her request.
“The requirements of data protection legislation therefore prohibit me from commenting on her circumstances, or those of other specific prisoners."
Gib (above) uses the pronouns they and them.
Nida Jafri, a friend of Gib’s, told The National: “Lammy has attempted to shut down the possibility of meeting with concerned MPs. He’s unwilling to confront the impact of the strike and the mass support it's garnering.
“The Ministry of Justice has failed to respond to strikers in the mandated 30 days, too. But make no mistake, we will continue to campaign relentlessly for the strikers' demands, including immediate bail and an end to the UK's complicity in genocide through its partnerships with Elbit Systems.
“My loved one Amu Gib is on day 40 of hunger strike. Five of them have been hospitalised. This stage is critical. Lammy must meet with us urgently.”
READ MORE: I'm in prison and on hunger strike over Palestine. This is what it's like
In his letter, Lammy said that “it would not be appropriate for me to comment on live criminal proceedings in detail” before listing the criminal charges facing members of Palestine Action for a raid at an Elbit Systems factory near Bristol and the break-in at RAF Brize Norton earlier this year.
All eight of the prisoners involved in the hunger strike were charged in relation to those incidents. Of these, five have now been hospitalised as part of their campaign to secure their immediate bail and an end to restrictions on their communications with the outside world, among other demands.
Lammy also goes on to speculate that the Crown Prosecution Service “may submit to the court that a non-terrorism offence has a terrorism connection where the offence in question carries a maximum penalty of more than two years’ imprisonment”.
In response to prisoners’ demands for Palestine Action to be deproscribed, the Justice Secretary said: “The Government’s current assessment is that Palestine Action’s activities have met the thresholds established in [the Terrorism Act].
“However, and as you will be aware, the High Court is currently considering a judicial review relating to the proscription of Palestine Action. It would, therefore, not be appropriate for me to comment in detail on those proceedings.”
He added: “Neither would it be appropriate to comment further on the specific detail of the individual cases concerned, particularly when criminal proceedings are ongoing. This principle applies to all criminal investigations and trials and helps ensure the integrity of those processes.
“The UK’s police, the [Crown Prosecution Service] and the courts are all independent of the government-of-the-day; it is vital that these institutions are able to carry out their duties, and make decisions, free from political influence, including the influence of international governmental organisations.”
A spokesperson for the Ministry of Justice said: “The Deputy Prime Minister is being kept informed of the situation.
“We continually assess prisoners’ wellbeing and will always take the appropriate action, including taking prisoners to hospital if they are assessed as needing treatment by a medical professional.”
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