African prisoners on hunger strike

A release from the Traditional Afrikan National Association, stated the prisoners were protesting the refusal by the prison authorities to take them to the Property Department, to access their monies to assist with legal expenses.

They are also concerned about what they described as the poor quality of food which has adversely affected their health; the lack of medical attention for their ailing colleagues; the continued abuse of the legal and human rights by the State’s institutions, and the constant violent environment in which they are being imprisoned.

Since May, the prisoners were promised that they will be deported, but up until yesterday no one at the prison could say when their deportation will take place.

Prisons Commissioner John Rougier said that he was asked by the Immigration Department to keep the 14 prisoners, pending their deportation, and he agreed to do so.

He said that he has no control over the arrangements to deport the prisoners.

The 14 prisoners were detained for overstaying their time in the country.

They are also claiming that on three occasions the Prison’s Superintendent refused to allow their agent David Walcott to visit them at the prisons.