Holloway hunger striker taken to hospital as health deteriorates

An Islington woman on hunger strike outside the US embassy was rushed to hospital last week.

Touran Ranjbar, 51, of Tufnell Park Road, Holloway, has pledged not to eat until seven Iranian hostages she believes are being held in Iraq are released.

She has gone 95 days without food and is deteriorating, but she has said she is willing to die for her cause.

Her condition has become so serious that consultants at University College Hospital are discussing placing doctors and nurses at the protest in Grosvenor Square Gardens to monitor Miss Ranjbar and some of the other hunger strikers.

There are currently eight Iranians protesting outside the embassy – seven women and one man.

Laila Jazayeri, organiser of the protest, said: “I do not want our colleagues to go through such a terrible ordeal and do not want anything to happen to any of these hunger strikers.

“But, we cannot force them to eat. They are very determined to go to the end to break the deafening silence of the US embassy as well as the British government.

“We are all British citizens and, as citizens, we are asking our prime minister, David Cameron, to pick up the phone and call the Iraqi prime minister and demand the release of our hostages.”