Badakhshan prisoners end hunger strike

FAIZABAD (Pajhwok): Following intervention from the provincial, prisoners have called off their hunger strike in Badakhshan central jail, a public representative said on Saturday.

Provincial council head Abdullah Naji Nazari told Pajhwok Afghan News the inmates had gone on hunger strike two days ago due to an inordinate delay in hearing of their cases.

With intervention from the council, the prisoners ended their strike, he said, adding that the protestors had been assured their demands would be sympathetically considered.

Nazari said the new provincial council was striving resolve the problems of all people, including the inmates. Local authorities have been asked to find a solution to their plight.

Najibullah, a resident of Shuhada district who had come to Faizabad to visit his jailed brother, said: “We would wait for days on end for our turn to meet our relatives.”

He claimed due to the heavy rush, he had been waiting for a week to see his brother, but there was no chance in sight. He has already spent 2000 afghanis on hotel accommodation. The food he brought for his brother has gone rotten.

Col. Abdul Fatah, the prison director, said under the law, relatives were allowed to meet prisoners twice a week. But he allows such meetings thrice a week to avoid congestion.

He said the inmates went on strike after prison guards confiscated three mobile phone sets that were being sent to them. The use of mobile phones is banned inside jail.

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