Hunger strike in Grevena prison, Greece

OLD OR NEW, ALL PRISONS ARE THE SAME

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There is no doubt that prisons either old or new, ignore and violate the rights of prisoners to the same extent. The new prison of Kerala (launched in 2008) has nothing to envy of the known ones scattered throughout the Greek territory: hellish.
Moreover, the prison of Grevena is so remote as to preclude the possibility of even basic social control, hindering the access rights of prisoners with their families, but also with their lawyers.
Despite promises to improve conditions of detention, after the monumental struggle of prisoners in Greek prisons in November 2008 and successive bills, Grevena prison is a shining example of law enforcement intentions of governments and their indifference to and violation of basic prisoners' rights.

On 11 January, the prisoners in Grevena jail began a mass hunger strike demanding the obvious, denouncing the medieval prison experiencing:

-The usual tactic of humiliating rectal control persists even in very short transfer cases for medical reasons. Those who refuse in orde to try to protect their dignity, are locked in isolation and face disciplinary proceedings.

-Requests for permits are ignored and /or examined unacceptably slowly.

-The disciplinary regime is reminiscent of the junta, and the prisoners prosecuted for nothing.

-Demands to be heard are ignored, even for people who face significant problems.

-There is no doctor for 330 prisoners.

-There is no Secretariat to provide information and serve the needs of prisoners.

-The time schedule of visiting changed at random, so that detainees are deprived of the necessary contact with the outside world and relatives who undertake long journeys to the isolated prison often turn up only to find they are not allowed in to visit their loved ones.

-The exercise period takes place in a very limited space for a very short time. In the courtyard there are no exercise facilities for prisoners.

- Heating - only there for an hour in the morning.

-The prisoners are forced to buy everything, even the basic necessities that the prison should provide, for example, the pillow!

-At the prison supermarket there is no price list, so that prisoners pay arbitrary and illegal prices.

We stand in solidarity with the struggle of prisoners
We demand the immediate satisfaction of their claims