‘10 inmates at Muwaqqar prison end hunger strike’

AMMAN — Ten Muwaqqar Correctional and Rehabilitation Centre 2 inmates involved in alleged terror-related cases on Wednesday ended a hunger strike they started late last month, according to human rights activists and the police.

The inmates were protesting against “difficult conditions” at the prison, and wanted the authorities to relocate them to a different centre, activists have said.

They also complained that prison officials were not listening to their demands or complaints, and about food quality according to activists.

“We received confirmation from the police that the inmates ended their strike on Wednesday,” National Centre for Human Rights (NCHR) Commissioner General Mousa Burayzat said.

Public Security Department (PSD) Spokesperson Lt. Col. Amer Sartawi also confirmed on Wednesday that the inmates had ended their hunger strike.

He told The Jordan Times that the prison administration did not comply with the inmates’ requests.

Sartawi declined to elaborate on why the prisoners agreed to end their hunger strike although their demands were not met by the prison administration.

But Burayzat told The Jordan Times that a senior PSD commander negotiated with the inmates over their demands on Wednesday “and convinced them to end the strike, promising that some of their demands will be met”.

“We will continue to monitor the situation with all the concerned parties,” he said.

The Muwaqqar centre is a maximum security facility, where inmates’ privileges are very limited and can easily be changed under any violation they might commit, according to Burayzat said earlier this week.

The inmates are placed in individual cells and not allowed to mix with other prisoners, according to the NCHR.

The hunger strike began with five prisoners on October 27 and the number later increased to 43, according to the PSD.

“The number then dropped to 10 on Tuesday and they are all in good condition,” the PSD statement said.

The inmates’ demands do not comply with international standards that require classifying prisoners based on their criminal offence and convictions, the statement added.