The inmates of Ward 2 of Bukan Prison refused to take prison food at noon today in protest to the closure of the prison store and announced that they had gone on a strike. Also, on the orders of the prison authorities, prisoners suspected of coronavirus are transferred to the club hall and locked in bed in handcuffs and leg-cuffs for a week.
An informed source in Bukan told the Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN) that “a few days ago, the manager of Ward 2 store, which is owned by Parsian Bank, refused to open the shop and sell food to the prisoners. So, all the 124 inmates of this ward refused to accept prison food this afternoon.”
According to the source, the prisoners returned all the prison food pots and went on strike. The prisoners have announced that they would continue their strike until the prison store reopens.
The source also reported that the human dignity of detainees suspected of having coronavirus was not respected by prison officials and added that “due to the lack of a quarantine ward in this prison, the club hall is used as quarantine by the prison authorities. Prisoners suspected of being infected with the coronavirus will be handcuffed and tied to a few old beds for 3 to 7 days.”
The director of Bukan Prison had announced informed earlier that any prisoner infected with the Coronavirus will be transferred to Orumiyeh Central Prison due to lack of facilities.
About 250 prisoners are being held in two separate wards at Bukan Prison. The high prison population and the outbreak of the Coronavirus have raised concerns among inmates, Moreover, unlike other prisons, the prison administrator has increased the amount of bail for leave to a sum several times higher which has led to the number of inmates being increased.
