16 political prisoners in Jaffna prison begin hunger strike

[TamilNet, Thursday, 22 April 2010, 14:41 GMT]
Sixteen political prisoners held in Jaffna prison began a hunger strike Thursday in protest against the order issued by Department of Attorney General to move them to High Courts in the South including Anuradapura High Court for trials, sources in Jaffna said. The sixteen political prisoners on hunger strike have either been arrested or had surrendered themselves and charged by the government for various alleged political offences. The protestors demand their trial to be conducted in Jaffna and not to send them to the High Courts in the South.

These political prisoners had been on several hunger strikes earlier demanding the government to release them or to try them in the law courts and in protest of the lack of basic facilities in Jaffna prison besides the harsh treatment of the prison officials.