Detainees recently on hunger strike were tortured and forced to eat during their protest
The Executive Committee of the Democratic Union Party – PYD reports that detainees who were recently on hunger strike in Adra Prison, Damascus, Syria were tortured and forced to eat during their protest. Read more
Hunger strike in Syria ends
We understand that the hunger strike amongst political prisoners in Adra prison in Syria that began on 30 October 2009 was ended today. It lasted 40 days, and has apparently ended because negotiations have been opened between the hunger strikers and Syrian officials.
See the following reports regarding the hunger strike:
http://supportkurds.org/syria/support-prisoners-in-syria-suggested-letter-to-amnesty-international/
http://supportkurds.org/news/hunger-strike-amongst-kurdish-political-prisoners-in-syria/
The prisoners began the hunger strike in support of the following aims:
- they receive a fair trial
- their isolation ends
- they are allowed to leave the prison yard
- they are granted visits from parents, and relatives
- and they have access to the media, including radio and television bulletins to give them the same conditions as are available to criminal prisoners.
We have no further details at this time.
8 December 2009
Syria: Prisoners on Hunger Strike in Adra Prison – DI public statement
November 27, 2009 by sks
Filed under News, Support Kurds, Syria
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Defend International (DI) is alarmed by reports that several Kurdish political prisoners have started a hunger strike to protest prison conditions, unfair trial practices and racial discrimination.
DI has contacted the International Committee of the Red Cross, High Commissioner for Human Rights, the Secretary-General of the Council of the European Union and the Secretary-General of the United Nations, seeking their urgent intervention in this matter. Read more
Support prisoners in Syria – suggested letter to Amnesty International
November 25, 2009 by sks
Filed under Support Kurds, Syria
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Please find the draft letter and documents that are designed to be sent to Amnesty International for urgent action to support Kurdish political prisoners in Syria. Please join this urgent call by adding your organisation’s name or your individual name and email to: Maha.AbuShama@amnesty.org- Maha Abu Shama – Campaigner – Syria, Lebanon & Jordan team – Middle East and North Africa Programme – Amnesty International Secretariat – Tel: +44207 413 5640
We, the following organisations and representatives, are writing to you as a matter of great urgency, concerning the Kurdish prisoners who began a hunger strike in Syria on 30th October.
They are protesting against arbitrary arrest, torture, isolation and the denial of access to visitors and to the outside world. Kurdish people in Syria have suffered these and many other human rights abuses in Syria for many years.
These Kurdish people continue to be on hunger strike. Every day that passes, further endangers their lives and their health, and will make it more difficult to achieve a satisfactory outcome.
We call on you with desperate urgency to help us to bring this case to the notice of all governments and international human rights organisations in order to force and ensure some action to alleviate the intolerable plight of these Kurdish prisoners.
We urge you to assist us.
Yours sincerely,
Organisation / individual name
Thank you for supporting Kurdish political prisoners in Syria
Kurds come together to support the continuing hunger strike by prisoners in Syria – update.
Kurdish political prisoners in Adra Prison and Sednaya Military Prison, Damascus, Syria continue a hunger strike that they began on 30 October 2009 to protest about the conditions under which they are being detained. They are striking for:
• a fair trial
• an end to solitary detention in prison
• to be allowed to leave the prison yard
• to receive visits from parents, and relatives
• and to have access to the media, including radio and television bulletins to give them the same conditions as are available to criminal prisoners.
For a full report: http://supportkurds.org/news/hunger-strike-amongst-kurdish-political-prisoners-in-syria
The families of the hunger strikers in the prison are outside the prison waiting to see the men, but they are not allowed access to them. According to MAD,
five of the hunger striking prisoners were expected in Court on 17 November 2009 but were not produced because of the hunger strike. Their cases were adjourned to 12 December 2009. Read more
Hunger strike amongst Kurdish political prisoners in Syria
November 6, 2009 by sks
Filed under News, Support Kurds, Syria
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Kurdish political prisoners in Adra Prison and Sednaya Military Prison, Damascus, Syria are suffering degrading conditions similar to those that were suffered by prisoners in the Middle Ages. Dozens of young Kurds lie behind high walls and inside dark corridors, hidden in isolation from the outside world, with minimum medical services. These are political prisoners, supporters of the Democratic Union Party, the PKK and PYD, and Sittar – a women’s organization. They stay in individual cells deprived of contact with each other and with their families, subjected to various types of psychological and physical torture.
Syrian Human Rights Committee – MAD, has received information that some of these prisoners started an open-ended hunger strike on 30 October 2009 against the harsh conditions and unfair judgments of the Supreme State Security Court.
