18 months without trial: the Brize Norton prisoners and the hunger strike

Amu Gib's hunger strike, as reported, lasted about 49 days, from 2 November to 23 December 2025. Four of the six accused joined a hunger strike from November 2025.

All six are held on pre-trial remand, and none has been convicted. The first five will have spent about 18 months in prison by the time their trial is due to start on 25 January 2027.

#What is remand, and who is held?

Remand means being held in prison before a trial. It is not a sentence. The first five were charged in 2025, and Lara Downes was charged as the sixth accused in 2026. The table shows what the reporting says about each person's prison and hunger strike. Where the reporting is silent, the table says so.

#How long did the strikes last?

Three of the four strikes in the table had ended by 27 January 2026. The reporting gives no end date for Lewie Chiaramello's strike, which is recorded as every other day from 24 November 2025.

#What did the hunger strikers demand?

The strikers demanded bail, a fair trial with full disclosure of documents, an end to censorship of their letters, lifting of the ban on Palestine Action, and closure of Elbit Systems' UK sites, according to Al Jazeera. Elbit Systems is an Israeli arms company. The ban itself is under legal challenge. The timeline of those rulings is in the case timeline.

#What are the care allegations?

The strikers alleged poor medical care in prison. They said that staff at HMP Bronzefield did not record Amu Gib's food refusal or carry out health checks for ten days.

The Ministry of Justice disputes the claims, according to The Guardian. The reporting includes no independent finding on them.

#Why is the wait for trial long?

The first five pleaded not guilty at the Old Bailey on 16 January 2026. The trial is due to begin on 25 January 2027 at Woolwich Crown Court, about 18 months after the first four people were charged and remanded in early July 2025. The trial date was set on 18 July 2025.

Lara Downes, the sixth accused, was charged in 2026. She is also held on remand, but the reporting does not give her prison.

In the related Filton case, the first trial of six defendants came after up to 17 months on remand, and the judge later ruled that the offences had a "terrorist connection". The comparison is in Filton and Brize Norton compared. For the people accused, see who the Brize Norton 6 are.