RIOTS IN PRISONS 2005

29. Dezember 2005

BRAZIL

4 tage hatten gefangene im urso branco state knast ( in Porto velho,der hauptstadt des bundesstaates rondonia) 207 besucherinnen als geiseln genommen. ihre forderung war u.a. das die verlegung eines von den behörden als knast gangleiter bezeichnet wird, zurück genommen wird , und das der staatsanwalt der die verlegung angeordnet hat, abgelöst wird.die erste forderung wird erfüllt. in dem knast, für 350 gefangene gebaut, sind über 1.000 menschen inhaftiert. es gab während der geiselnahme keine tote. einige gefangene sprachen von 16 toten, angebl. von ihnen als informaten getötete menschen. dies stimmte nicht und sollte die verhandlungsposition der gefangenen stärken.

Hostages freed as jail riot ends

Inmates armed with makeshift knives have ended their four-day uprising at a prison in Brazil's remote Amazon jungle and released 207 hostages. Authorities met their main demand by returning one of their leaders from another prison. The inmates began their uprising during Sunday's visiting hours at the Urso Branco State Prison in Rondonia's state capital, Porto Velho, 1,500 miles north-west of Sao Paulo. The 190 women and 17 men held hostage were relatives of the inmates. "It's over," said Renato Eduardo de Souza, head of the state's public safety department. "The inmates have released the hostages and no one was hurt. No one was killed." He said prisoners' claims they had killed up to 16 fellow inmates during the uprising "was nothing more than a bluff to intimidate us."

Rondonia state police spokesman, Lenilson Guedes, said authorities broke the impasse in negotiations by agreeing to return prison gang leader Edinildo Paula de Souza, who had been transferred to another facility last week, before the hostages were released. The inmates first gathered in the prison yard with the hostages while police searched the grounds for the bodies of those the inmates said they had killed. Then they searched the cells for weapons, Guedes said. He did not say if any weapons were found. Afterward, the inmates returned to their cells and released their hostages, he said. Another inmate demand, which prison officials said would not be met, was the dismissal of Amadeu Sikorski, the prosecutor who ordered Paula de Souza's transfer.

[  scotsman.com

Rondonia state prison siege continues

29. dezember 2005

REBELLIOUS inmates at a prison in Brazil's remote Amazon jungle overnight refused to release their 207 hostages even though authorities were prepared to meet their principal demand by returning their escaped leader from another prison.

Armed with makeshift knives, the inmates began their uprising during last weekend's visiting hours at the Urso Branco State Prison in Rondonia's state capital, Porto Velho, 2500km northwest of Sao Paulo. The 190 women and 17 men being held are relatives of inmates. Authorities agreed to return prison gang leader Edinildo Paula de Souza, who had been transferred to another facility last week after his capture, but insisted that the hostages be released first. The inmates refused, saying that Paula de Souza must be returned before the hostages are released. The Urso Branco prison was the site of a bloody five-day uprising in April 2004 that left 14 inmates dead, many of them hacked to death and tossed from the prison's roof. Prisoners held hostage about 170 relatives then, most of them women.

Another inmate demand, which prison officials said would not be met, was the dismissal of Amadeu Sikorski, the prosecutor who ordered Paula de Souza's transfer. Paula de Souza escaped from Urso Branco on November 24 through a tunnel he had dug in the prison's vegetable garden. He was recaptured December 21 and sent the next day to the Nova Mamore prison about 300kms from Urso Branco. The 27-year-old convict is considered a highly dangerous criminal and is serving a 30-year sentence for murder and armed robbery. Local media have reported that he orchestrated the 2004 riot at Urso Branco. There was no confirmation of the inmates' claim that they have killed at least 10 other prisoners during the rebellion.

[  news.com.au

Brazil prison standoff ends

28. dezember 2005

Police said today they reached an agreement with inmates leading a riot at a remote prison in Brazil's Amazon and were awaiting the release of nearly 200 hostages who had been visiting relatives and friends on Christmas Day. Inmates at the Urso Branco penitentiary in Rondonia state were due to release the hostages ? mostly women, some pregnant ? and end a rebellion soon, after getting promises authorities would meet some of their demands, police spokesman Lenilson Guebes said from Urso Branco. The gang leading the uprising, which started when family and friends of inmates were visiting on Christmas, demanded the return of its leader, Ednildo Paula Souza, to the prison. He escaped two weeks ago but was caught and moved to another penitentiary. "Souza will be returned to the prison later today and the penitentiary has agreed to treat the prisoners' family and visitors with more dignity," said Capt. Luiz Cesar of the state police. Prisoners have also demanded a prosecutor that they dislike be relieved of his duties but officials did not say if they planned to grant that request.

Police said firefighters and emergency medical teams were waiting on the scene to assist any hostages, guards and inmates, but it was not clear if there were serious injuries or killings. A report by the local news agency Agencia Estado, which cited leaders of the rebellion as sources, said 17 inmates had been killed in the riot, but police could not confirm that. Urso Branco is considered one of the most violent jails in Brazil, which has a long history of bloody prison uprisings. It holds 950 inmates in a space meant for about half as many. In April 2004, about 15 people were killed in a weeklong uprising at Urso Branco. Gruesome video and photos captured a band of inmates brandishing and tossing body parts and heads from the top of prison towers. About 200 police were standing guard outside the prison.

[  stuff.co.nz

Deal reached on 200 prison hostages in Brazil

27. dezember 2005

Police said on Tuesday they reached an agreement with inmates leading a riot at a remote prison in Brazil's Amazon and were awaiting the release of nearly 200 hostages who had been visiting relatives and friends on Christmas Day.

Inmates at the Urso Branco penitentiary in Rondonia state were due to release the hostages -- mostly women, some pregnant -- and end a rebellion soon, after getting promises authorities would meet some of their demands, police spokesman Lenilson Guebes said from Urso Branco. The gang leading the uprising, which started when family and friends of inmates were visiting on Christmas, demanded the return of its leader, Ednildo Paula Souza, to the prison. He escaped two weeks ago but was caught and moved to another penitentiary. "Souza will be returned to the prison later today and the penitentiary has agreed to treat the prisoners' family and visitors with more dignity," said Capt. Luiz Cesar of the state police. Prisoners have also demanded a prosecutor that they dislike be relieved of his duties but officials did not say if they planned to grant that request.

Police said firefighters and emergency medical teams were waiting on the scene to assist any hostages, guards and inmates, but it was not clear if there were serious injuries or killings. A report by the local news agency Agencia Estado, which cited leaders of the rebellion as sources, said 17 inmates had been killed in the riot, but police could not confirm that. Urso Branco is considered one of the most violent jails in Brazil, which has a long history of bloody prison uprisings. It holds 950 inmates in a space meant for about half as many. In April 2004, about 15 people were killed in a weeklong uprising at Urso Branco. Gruesome video and photos captured a band of inmates brandishing and tossing body parts and heads from the top of prison towers. About 200 police were standing guard outside the prison, 1,920 miles from Sao Paulo.

[  reuters.com

Hundreds hostage at Brazil jail

27. dezember 2005

More than 200 hostages remain in the hands of prisoners who seized control of a jail in the Amazonian state of Rondonia in Brazil on Christmas Day. Officials are said to have accepted one of the inmates' demands - the return of one of their leaders, Ednildo de Souza, recently transferred to another prison. He is accused of organising a riot last April in which 14 inmates were killed. The latest uprising began during visiting hours when relatives of prisoners were seized at knifepoint. Some 150 armed Brazilian police are surrounding the prison, which is believed to be under the full control of the prisoners.

They are also reported to have demanded the dismissal of a prosecutor and better conditions. A spokesman for the local state authority said that there were no plans to raid the jail but that its supplies of water, electricity and food had been cut off in the hope of tiring out the hostage-takers. Like many Brazilian jails, the Rondonia state prison is badly overcrowded. It was designed to hold 350 inmates, but currently contains around 1,000. Almost all are believed to be taking part in this rebellion.

[  news.bbc.co.uk

29. Dezember 2005

IRAQ

in dem knast al adala im norden von baghdad wurden 8 ( 9 / 20) menschen erschossen und sechs ( 5 gefangene, ein us-soldat) verwundet.

es gibt verschiedene versionen dazu :
ein irakischer general sagte daß es einem gefangenen gelungen sei einen wärter zu entwaffnen und der hätte dann 4 gefangene und 4 wärter erschossen bevor er überwältigt wurde. der us militärsprecher sagte dagegen daß " 16 gefangene das waffenläger stürmten ,eine unbekannte anzahl an waffen stahlen und versuchten zu fliehen." in dem letzten der drei artikel wird von 20 toten geschrieben.

Inmate grabs gun, kills 8 in Baghdad jail
U.S. soldier injured in botched escape attempt

Inmates stormed a prison armoury in a northern Baghdad suburb yesterday, where one grabbed an AK-47 rifle from an Iraqi guard and fired indiscriminately, killing eight people and wounding a U.S. soldier. The botched escape attempt comes days after the United States said it wouldn't hand over prisoners to Iraqi officials until conditions in the overcrowded prison system improved. Yesterday's incident occurred at the Justice Ministry's A'dala Prison in the suburb of Kazimiyah. The facility used to be military intelligence headquarters under Saddam Hussein and housed Iraqis and foreigners. An Iraqi prisoner managed to disarm a guard and fired randomly with his assault rifle, said Iraqi army Brig. Gen. Jalil al-Mehamadawi. Four guards and four inmates were killed before the gunman was restrained. The U.S. military's account differed somewhat. Sgt. Keith Robinson said in a statement that "it was reported that 16 prisoners attempted to escape the facility after first storming the armoury and obtaining an undetermined number of weapons."

Besides the eight deaths and wounding of the U.S. soldier, five prisoners were injured, Robinson said. The condition of Iraqi prisons has come under intense scrutiny in recent months. They are often overcrowded, and there have been allegations and accusations of torture and prisoner abuse at many facilities. The incident came just three days after the U.S. military said it would not hand over detention facilities or individual detainees to Iraqi officials until they have demonstrated higher standards of care. Last month, Shiite Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari promised an investigation into the allegations of abused prisoners, with results two weeks later. No report has been issued yet. Before then, Sunni Arabs had complained about abuse and torture by Interior Ministry security forces. Interior Minister Bayan Jabr has said torture allegations have been exaggerated by people who sympathize with the Sunni-led insurgency.

Meanwhile yesterday, a Canadian U.N. official said Iraq's Dec. 15 parliamentary elections were credible and the results should stand, angering Sunni Arabs who have taken to the streets demanding a new vote. Electoral expert Craig Jenness told a news conference organized by the Independent Electoral Commission of Iraq that the number of complaints was less than one for every 7,000 voters. About 70 per cent of Iraq's 15 million voters went to the polls.

"The United Nations is of the view that these elections were transparent and credible," Jenness said. The U.N. endorsement, which came after opposition groups demanded international intervention, was likely to deflate their calls for the elections to be cancelled. It also was likely to move Sunni Arabs and secular Shiites closer to the bargaining table ahead of final results, expected next week. Preliminary results, which gave a big lead to the ruling Shiite religious bloc, also indicated that Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Chalabi, a former Washington insider once pegged as a possible prime minister, will not be re-elected to the new 275-member parliament, his office said. Before Saddam's ouster in 2003, Chalabi, then living in exile, was a favourite of the U.S. Defence Department and the U.S. Congress. A secular Shiite, he fell from grace after his claims that Saddam possessed weapons of mass destruction were discredited.

Also yesterday, the Dubai-based al-Arabiya satellite channel aired footage purporting to show a French citizen abducted by insurgents in Iraq on Dec. 5. The man, identified as engineer Bernard Planche, an employee of a nongovernmental organization involved in water projects, said on the video he was "sorry for everything that has happened" and thanked "those who are trying to help me." The French engineer is among an estimated 425 foreigners who have been abducted in Iraq since the U.S. invasion. Canadians James Loney, 41, and Harmeet Singh Sooden, 32, were kidnapped Nov. 26 with two fellow Christian Peacemakers, American Tom Fox, 54, and Briton Norman Kember, 74.

[  thestar.com

Nine killed in jail gun battle

29. dezember 2005

AT least nine prisoners and guards were killed in a gun battle at a Baghdad high-security jail overnight after detained guerrilla suspects, some of them foreign, grabbed weapons and tried to flee, officials said. One Iraqi inmate snatched a Kalashnikov rifle from a guard as a handful of high-risk prisoners were taken out at dawn to clean the yard, a guard from the site said. After raiding the prison armoury, the group freed more comrades but US and Iraqi troops based around the jail quelled the revolt. Five staff and four inmates were killed and five prisoners and a US soldier were wounded, the US military said, denying assertions by police, including an Interior Ministry general, that the death toll was at least 20 among the detainees, who include some of the most violent of Iraq's insurgents. A Russian, a Tunisian and a Saudi were among those who fought.

In other violence, rebels ambushed an Iraqi army patrol near Dujail, 60km north of Baghdad, killing two soldiers and wounding seven, police said. Serious attacks have increased in the past week following a lull around the December 15 election, when some rebels from the once dominant Sunni Arab minority observed an informal truce to encourage their community to vote for the first time and stake a share in the new parliament. Some Sunni politicians have warned that anger at results they allege are forged and which confirmed the dominant position of Shiite Islamists could prompt more attacks, not just by the al-Qaeda-linked Islamists bent on wrecking the US-backed political process but also by Sunni groups that backed the vote. The Electoral Commission, assailed by protests over the past week, produced a UN official at its daily news conference overnight to insist the ballot was fair and that the commission would study complaints.

[  news.com.au

Twenty detainees gunned down in Baghdad's military detention

Iraqi soldiers opened fire at a group of detainees in Baghdad's Iraqi army detention on Wednesday following an apparent escape attempt, killing 20 detainees and an army officer, a police source said. "Iraqi soldiers allowed dozens of detainees to an open area in al-Adalah detention in Kadhumiyah district in northern Baghdad. One of the detainees took a rifle of one of the guards and opened fire at the guards," a police source told Xinhua. "The detainee killed an army officer and wounded two guards, which prompted other guards to open fire randomly at the detainees and killed up to 20 of them," the source added. The military facility of Kadhumiyah was one of Saddam Hussein's headquarters of the military intelligence.

[  english.people.com.cn

27. Dezember 2005

CAPE VERDE

weil die besuchszeiten zu weihnachten geändert wurden, kam es im san martinho knast zu einem riot bei dem ein gefangener getötet und 3 weitere verletzt worden.

One killed in Cape Verde prison riot

One prisoner died and three others sustained injuries in Sunday`s riot at the Sao Martinho prison, near Praia, prison director Carlos Rocha announced here Monday. The riot was sparked by the prisoners` resistance to a change of visiting hours during the Christmas season. Rocha said the prison`s management had decided that because the facility was overcrowded the visiting hours for sentenced prisoners and those remanded would be adjusted to ensure effective handling of the caseload during the holidays.

But the decision did not go down well with the prisoners and their relatives, who were waiting for the opening of the prison for visitation on Christmas day. The enraged prisoners broke open their cells and attacked the prison`s authorities and facilities, forcing prison guards to use tear gas and fire in the air to restore order, the prison official said. He explained that the victims were hit by bullets shot by policemen against the wall to disperse the rioters. Meanwhile, a commission enquiry has been set up to probe the circumstances leading to the riot at the country`s main prison facility.

[  angolapress-angop.ao

27. Dezember 2005

GEORGIA

gefangene des knastes nr. 1 in tiblis haben sich dem hungerstreik in den verschiedenen knästen angeschlossen. die angehörigen hatten den eingang zum knast blockiert, da sie keine auskünfte über die gefangenen bekamen. es soll sich eine der berüchtigten spezialeinheit im knast befinden die die hungerstreikenden prügeln.

Prisoners'Parents Staging Protest Rally

The parents and relatives of habitants of the Tbilisi 1st Prison were staging a protest rally outside the prison, thus blocking the way for the vehicles going to the penitentiary on Tuesday. The participants of the rally claimed that, as they were informed, the hunger-striking prisoners were beaten by the special squad. The participants of the rally demanded to be allowed to visit the prisoners or let the lawyers inside. The representatives of the 1st Prison turned down information about deployment of the special squad in the prison. Hunger strike in the different prisons of Georgia started last week in sympathy to the riot in the Kutaissi prison, where the prisoners demanded better housing conditions.

[  primenewsonline.com

26. Dezember 2005

KOSOVO

unbestätigte nachricht über einen riot im dubrava knast. angeblich wollten 30 gefangene fliehen, daraus wurde ein aufstand. es sei geschossen worden, aber ob dabei menschen verletzt oder getötet worden sind, steht nicht in dem bericht. vor 10 tagen sollen 12 männer versucht haben zu fliehen.

RIOTS in the biggest prison in Kosovo - television

Almost 30 inmates tried to run from the largest prison in Kosovo overnight, the Kosovo Television reported on Monday adding that the situation went back to normal in the morning. No other details about the situation in the Dubrava prison were revealed. Firearms were allegedly used, but the police had not confirmed it. Prisoners in the Dubrava jail have frequently complained about inhumane and poor conditions in that penitentiary institution. Ten days ago, a dozen inmates attempted an escape from Dubrava.

[  kosovareport.blogspot.com

24. Dezember 2005

IRAQ

aus protest gegen mißhandlungen in dem britischen militärknast in basra sind mehrer gefangene im hungerstreik. während der britische militärsprecher sagt der hungerstreik, dem einige "auseinandersetzungen" vorangingen, sei beendet worden, wird von angehörigen die eine in uk arbeitende exilorganisation informierten, gesagt die gefangenen würden den hungerstreik fortsetzen.

Hungerstreik gegen Haftbedingungen

In einem britischen Gefängnis im Irak haben Insassen gegen die Haftbedingungen protestiert. Sie würden ohne Anklage oder Prozess festgehalten, kritisierten die Häftlinge. London - Vorübergehend seien die Gefangenen in dem von Großbritannien betriebenen Gefängnis Schaiba nahe der südirakischen Stadt Basra sogar in den Hungerstreik getreten. Das berichtete die britische Zeitung "The Guardian". Die Insassen hätten dagegen protestiert, dass sie ohne Anklage und ohne Prozess festgehalten würden. Das Blatt zitierte Angehörige der Häftlinge, die den britischen Soldaten vorwarfen, die Insassen während des Gebets anzugreifen und Hunde gegen sie einzusetzen. Die Zeitung konnte die Informationen nicht überprüfen. Ein britischer Armeesprecher sagte, das Gefängnis werde regelmäßig vom Internationalen Komitee des Roten Kreuzes inspiziert. Alle Häftlinge sitzen wegenwegen mutmaßlicher terroristischer Aktivitäten oder Aufruhrs ein.

[  spiegel.de

ALLEGATIONS of ill-treatment after protest by Iraqi detainees

Detainees held by the British army in Iraq have been involved in disturbances this week in protest at being held without charge or trial, the Guardian has learned.

The governor of Basra has made representations to the British after complaints by family members who say that their relatives have gone on hunger strike in the Shaiba detention facility south of Basra. Families of the men say that they were prevented from visiting their relatives on Thursday and blocked the road to the base in protest. They say that when a few did gain access they heard allegations of beatings and of men being attacked by dogs. Yesterday a British military spokesman confirmed that some of the "internees" had been involved in disturbances and had been on hunger strike but were now "getting fed". The men are suspected of being involved in insurgency or terrorist activity in the British-controlled area.

Major Peter Cripps, spokesman for British forces in southern Iraq, said family visits for some were cancelled on December 22 but later reinstated. "This follows a number of disturbances at the centre. It is true that some of the inmates are choosing not to take their meals when they are given them but I understand that they demanded food at another time. Clearly if they are causing disturbances we need to maintain a sense of order and security within the prison. In all cases we use a minimum amount of force." Maj Cripps said the facility was run in compliance with international humanitarian law and regularly inspected by the International Committee of the Red Cross. The brothers of two of the men involved in the protest contacted Mazin Younis of the Iraqi League - an alliance of Iraqi exiles in the UK - who claims that the men are still on hunger strike. Sadiq Mahmoud Karim, visiting Qasim Mahmoud Karim, who has been in detention for 18 months, said: "Some visitors decided to block the main road leading to the base and not move till they were allowed to visit their relatives."

Ibrahim Khalil visited Aqeel Khalil Rahmo, an Iraqi policeman arrested after the detention by Iraqi police of two British soldiers believed to be members of the SAS. Mr Khalil said in a statement: "My brother ... told me that all the 38 detainees went on hunger strike last Saturday over the refusal of the British to put them on trial or free them ... he witnessed British troops in riot gear attack other inmates on Saturday with batons while they were praying. They also used dogs which attacked one of the inmates, Sayyid Haidar, and caused him severe injuries. "My brother witnessed how some British soldiers attacked Qasim Karim and kicked his head with their boots. Qasim was neither seen in hospital nor in the main detention halls. After this incident, two inmates attempted to hang themselves with a rope. They were rescued by their colleagues." The Guardian has been unable to verify these allegations.

[  guardian.co.uk

21. Dezember 2005

GEORGIA

riot in dem knast in der stadt kutaisi. die gefangenen wurden in ein neues gebäude verlegt, das angebl. nach den modernsten standarts gebaut wurde und in dem es keine heizung und wasser gibt. nach offiziellen angaben wird der riot von "kriminellen bandenführer", die in den alten gebäuden des knastes bleiben sollen, angeführt. auch das die gefangenen handys fordern ist regierungspropaganda.

PRISON Riot Under Way In Georgia

Georgian media have reported that a massive prison riot is under way today at a new detention facility in the western city of Kutaisi. Inmates were transferred to a new building at the prison last night but today seized control of parts of the new building and started fires to protest conditions. Inmates said there were no basic living conditions in the facility, including no heat or water. The Interior Ministry sent its elite forces to the scene. Ambulances and fire-fighting vehicles were also reportedly there. Deputy Justice Minister Givi Mikanadze told reporters the riot was caused by "certain figures" who rejected prison reform plans. Mikanadze also said the situation was "under control." Some 800 prisoners were expected to be transferred to the new building. Last night's transfer involved the first 100 of them.

[  rferl.org

Prison riot in Georgia: convicts demand cellular phones

21. dezember 2005

A riot in prison #2 in Kutaisi (West Georgia) has continued on Thursday. According to information of a REGNUM correspondent obtained from Georgian law enforcement agencies, on December 21, about a hundred convicts were transferred from the old prison to the new one, intended for eight hundred and built in accordance with modern standards. The convicts started a protest action immediately, showing resistance to the prisons officials. Relatives of the convicts insist that the riot was caused by the prisoners? complaints about the terms of maintenance in the new prison, and that the authorities suppress the resistance with help of truncheons. According to other sources, the riot was initiated by the convicted criminal leaders who were left in the old buildings. According to relatives of convicts, who have rallied near the prison, on Thursday cries and sounds of truncheon blows can be heard from the prison.

Meanwhile, Georgian Justice Minister Kote Kemularia told the press on Thursday, that the authorities ?have prepared themselves to such developments, as there was a leak of information on possible resistance.? The minister connects the events with application of new standards by the Georgian penitentiary system to ?carry out fight with the world of crime outside and inside prisons.? Kemularia also noted that the rioting prisoners who were transferred to cells for six, four and two convicts, demand that their criminal leaders were also put there. Besides, the administration?s activities on revealing and seizing cellular phones has also instigated violent resistance.

Kemularia said, the situation in the prison is under control of the administration, and the guard building was strengthened. Representative of the Georgian Ombudsman Office in Kutaisi Giorgy Mshvenieradze told the press that several rioting convicts, who "declined to follow the lawful demands of the justice ministry officers" and showed resistance to the prison?s authorities, had physical injures. "I think it logical to apply punitive measures that the ministry of justice officers had to apply, including applying force and using truncheons against the prisoners," he said.

Head of the Georgian parliamentary committee on human rights and civil integration Elene Tevdoradze expressed her readiness to go to Kutaisi and help the prison's administration in resolving the situation, as she believes that can influence the convicts and will be able to "less or more settle the situation." She also confirmed that since the day of transferring the convicts to the new building water supplies and heating systems have been out of order there by the present day.

[  regnum.ru

PRISON Riot Reported in Kutaisi

21. dezember 2005

Prison inmates staged a riot on December 21 in the western Georgian town of Kutaisi protesting against lack of heat and water, the Georgian media sources reported. Flames coming from several cells of the newly built prison were visible in the Georgian television footages. Deputy Justice Minister Givi Mikanadze told reporters on December 21 that currently the situation in this prison, which was opened on December 20, "is under control." "A small incident, which followed the transfer of prisoners to the new prison, was caused by the reform being implemented in the penitentiary system, which appeared unacceptable for certain circles. I want to say that we will not turn off the reform strategy," he said.

[  civil.ge

18. Dezember 2005

MEXICO

bei angebl. kämpfen von knastgangs im cerezo hochsicherheitsknast/ ciudad juarez sind 6 gefangene getötet worden, neun gefangene und drei polizisten wurden verletzt. der knast wurde von polizisten gestürmt.

Six Killed In Prison Riot

Juarez city officials are confirming the death of six inmates in the Cerezo Maximum Security Prison after a riot breaks out. The Juarez mayor says inmates became violent because of infighting between prison gangs, especially after the attack of another inmate Friday. They say one inmate was stabbed 70 times. Twenty other inmates are reported injured, along with two prison guards. State police have now stepped in to guard the facility.

[  kfoxtv.com

Report: Six Die in Mexico Prison Riot

17. dezember 2005

MEXICO CITY - Six people were stabbed or battered to death during a prison gang fight on Saturday in Ciudad Juarez, across the U.S. border from El Paso, Texas, a Mexican newspaper reported. The riot broke out between the two gangs as relatives of the prisoners lined up at the municipal penitentiary for visits, prison director Juan Federico Fernandez said, according to the Mexican newspaper Reforma. Prison officials could not be immediately reached. Hundreds of police stormed the penitentiary and quelled the riot, Fernandez said. The prisoners died from knife and bludgeon wounds, he said. Nine prisoners and three police officers were injured, some severely.

[  chron.com

17. Dezember 2005

USA

weil zwei gefangene angeblich einen riot beginnen wollten, ist der dona ana knast/ new mexico unter lockdown. bei den auseinandersetzungen sind 3 menschen verletzt worden.

Detention Center Put Under Lock Down

The Dona Ana Detention Center is under lock down after two inmates tried to start a riot. According to county officials the two men were trying to incite violence with the other inmates but were unsuccessful. As a precaution a set of officers put on full protective gear and tried to intervene. Several windows were broken in the process. Three people had to be treated by the detention center's medical staff, but no major injuries were reported. The lock down on the center is expected to be lifted Sunday.

[  kfoxtv.com

11. Dezember 2005

AUSTRALIA

ein mann ist im villawood knast immer noch im hungerstreik. die 5 anderen menschen, die am 20. oktober 2005 den hungerstreik begannen, mußten aus gesundheitlichen gründen nach und nach aufhören.

Concern for hunger-strike detainee

THERE are calls for the Federal Government to intervene in the case of a man in immigration detention, who is still refusing food almost two months after starting his hunger strike. Concerns are mounting over the health of Jen Wen Zhang, a detainee at Sydney's Villawood detention centre, who has been refusing food since October 20. Mr Zhang and five other Chinese detainees began the hunger strike in protest at Australia's mandatory detention policy. Three of the six ended their protest earlier this month and a fourth detainee pulled out of the hunger strike last week. On Friday, Mr Zhang was moved to a Sydney hotel to receive medical treatment after his condition deteriorated. Victorian Greens spokesman on refugees, Peter Job, is demanding Immigration Minister Amanda Vanstone intervene and instruct her department to release Mr Zhang on a bridging visa. "To do anything else at this late stage will surely have tragic consequences," he said. "Is the minister so intransigent that she will allow a man to come to permanent harm or even die before she acts?"

Doctors have told Mr Zhang that his hunger strike was now damaging his heart and kidneys, Mr Job said. "The medical advice I previously received (is) that it would soon be too late to avoid irreparable damage to Mr Zhang's prospects for health and long life appear to be becoming a reality," he said. "Unfortunately, despite the efforts of myself and other to persuade Mr Zhang to take other forms of protest, he continues to insist that he will not give up his hunger strike until he is released from detention and allowed to continue with his claims while living in the community." Mr Job said Mr Zhang believed he was denied a fair hearing from the Immigration Department and the Refugee Review Tribunal, but was taking political action for all detained asylum seekers.

[  thesundaymail.news.com.au

10. Dezember 2005

INDIA

hungerstreik eines gefangenen im berhampur knast. der mann fordert medizinische behandlung und angemessene ernährung.

ADHIR Chowdhury on hunger strike in jail

BERHAMPORE: Congress leader Adhir Chowdhury, MP, now in judicial custody, on Saturday launched an indefinite hunger strike inside the Berhampur central jail here accusing the state government of neglecting his medical treatment and not providing him proper food. Chowdhury started his hunger strike from this afternoon, Congress MLA Abu Hena told PTI here. District Magistrate N Manjunath Prasad said the Additional District Magistrate (ADM) Gulam Ali Ansari had been deputed to visit the jail to sort out the problem. Chowdhury is now in judicial custody in connection with a double murder case in last July. The MP was arrested from his official residence in New Delhi on November 19 and brought to Berhampur the same night. He has been in custody since then in connection with the case.

[  timesofindia.indiatimes.com

30. November 2005

ISRAEL

im knast ofer, westlich von ramallah, kam es zu einem riot, bei dem durch tränengas und gummigeschoße der wärter 33 gefangene verletzt. 40 wärter sollen leicht verletzt sein. Grund des protestes war das mehrere gefangene in isozellen sollten um dann in andere knäste gebracht zu werden. Einer der männer ist der vizegeneralsekretär der pflp abdul rahim mallouh. augenzeugen berichten das die wärter ihn dabei verprügelten und dies von vielen gefangenen gesehen wurde.

PA Leader Condemns Force Used Against Rioting Security Prisoners

Palestinian Authority (PA) leader Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen) on Tuesday released statement condemning the IDF?s use of force against rioting security prisoners in the Ramallah area Ofer detention center. Rioting began on Monday night, and incidents were reported throughout the night into Tuesday morning. Referring to the imprisoned terrorists as ?our heroes? the PA leader condemned the use of teargas and other riot control adjuncts as authorities attempted to bring the hours of violence under control.

[  israelnn.com

Abdul-Rahim Mallouh in Israeli Hospital with Broken Jaw
Abbas Condemns Assault of Palestinian Detainees as Violation of Law

Troops of the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) broke the lower jaw of the detained member of the PLO Executive Committee Abdul-Rahim Mallouh and wounded 32 Palestinian detainees when they raided the Ofer detention center in the West Bank overnight Monday.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Tuesday condemned the IOF assault as a violation of both Israeli and international law.

Freeing the Palestinian detainees is a national priority at the highest level, he told reporters. Mallouh is also the Deputy Secretary-General of the anti-Israeli occupation group the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP). He was transferred to an Israeli hospital for treatment. Israeli authorities have kept his exact whereabouts in the dark. The PLO leader is serving a seven-year term after being convicted last year allegedly for "membership of a terrorist organization."

Israeli troops guarding Ofer west of Ramallah on Monday used tear gas and rubber-coated bullets to quell protests by Palestinian detainees who were objecting to moving Mallouh and four other detainees to solitary confinement in preparation to transferring them to another IOF jail, according to the head of the Palestinian prisoners' association Issa Qaraqaeh. Mallouh was taken to the open ground in Ofer and was severely beaten by the guards, which infuriated his fellow detainees who were watching. When the detainees protested, IOF soldiers opened fire, using plastic bullets that release hot material which causes burns. Detainees hurled objects at their guards and set fire to six tents. Thirty-two were wounded, one of them seriously.

Describing the protests as "riots," an IOF spokeswoman said 40 guards were also lightly wounded. "During the night Palestinian detainees began to riot, hurling rocks, sticks and other objects, and set fire to a cell," she told AFP. "The security forces responded with non-lethal means of dispersal and during the riots 40 police and soldiers were very lightly injured," mainly by inhaling gas, she added. More than 1,100 Palestinian detainees are held at the Ofer military base.

[  palestine-pmc.com

28. November 2005

ETHIOPIA

4 männer, die bei den wahlprotesten anfang des monates festgenommen wurden, haben angekündigt daß sie aus protest gegen ihre inhaftierung ab dem 28. november einen unbefristeten hungerstreik beginnen. Während der proteste wurden 46 menschen getötet und mehrere tausend festgenommen. Genaue zahlen sind nicht bekannt, aber bisher wurden mind. 8.000 menschen entlassen und nach schätzungen sollen noch 3. 000 menschen im knast sein. Bei einigen wird eine anklage wegen "landesverrat" vorbereitet.

Ethiopia prisoners' hunger strike

Three opposition leaders and a human rights activist in Ethiopia say they will go on hunger strike from Monday in protest against their detention. The four were arrested at the beginning of this month during violent protests over May's disputed election results.

They have not been formally charged but Prime Minister Meles Zenawi says they could be tried for treason. CUD leader Hailu Shawel and two top party officials say their detention is politically-motivated. "We have decided to go on hunger strike indefinitely beginning Monday, 28 November 2005 - we will take only liquids," said top CUD (Coalition for Unity and Democracy) official and mayor-elect of Addis Ababa, Berhanu Nega, speaking to journalists at Ethiopia's central investigation centre.

"This is a political case, not a criminal one," said Mr Hailu. Prominent human rights activist Professor Mesfin Woldemariam and deputy CUD leader Birtukan Midek are also being held. Correspondents say granting the media access to the detainees was an attempt by the government to show the opposition leaders are not being ill-treated.

Numbers unknown

Some 8,000 people have been freed since the protests organised by the opposition, claiming that May's elections were rigged.

There are no official figures for the number who remain in custody but diplomats say it is at least 3,000. At least 46 people were killed when security forces broke up the protests. The international community has called for the immediate release of all political detainees. Mr Meles' Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front won a majority in polls but the opposition gained many seats.

The opposition is made up of the two broad groupings - the CUD and the United Ethiopian Democratic Forces, which unlike the CUD, have taken up their parliamentary seats.

[  bbc.co.uk

28 November 2005

BRAZIL

seit 26 tagen ist ein mann aus großbritannien in einem knast nahe der stadt brasilia im hungerstreik.

FEARS: Man on hunger strike in Brazilian jail

FEARS are growing for the health of a man on hunger strike in Brazil. Craig Alden (36), from Warboys, near Ramsey, has refused food for the last 26 days in a desperate bid to have his appeal heard.

Alden claims he was not allowed a proper defence when he was convicted in 2002 on child abuse charges. He has always maintained his innocence, claiming he was set up after refusing to pay a bribe to corrupt officials.

Craig is three years into his sentence at a jail near the capital Brasilia. Speaking from prison, he said: "If I'm not allowed to be free and have my human rights, I don't want to live like this."

Prison staff say the hunger strike has left him weakened and thin. The British embassy is pressing Brazilian authorities after an independent lawyer gave a report saying Alden had not received a fair trial. Earlier this month, Foreign Secretary Jack Straw wrote to the Brazilian government raising human rights concerns about the case.

North West Cambridgeshire MP Shailesh Vara is supporting the campaign to free Mr Alden. He accused the Foreign Office of "warm words" and little action and joined campaigners outside 10 Downing Street recently to present a petition to Prime Minister Tony Blair. The case is also being backed by Fair Trials Abroad. Alden is married to a Brazilian woman and has a 10-year-old son.

[  peterboroughtoday.co.uk

26. November 2005

MEXICO

es gab eine schießerei im venustiano carranza knast in tepic / nayarit bei der 8 gefangene erschossen wurden. Es soll kein riot gewesen sein, sondern auseinandersetzungen unter knastgangs. In den für 700 gefangene gebauten knast sind fast 2.000 menschen untergebracht.

Gun battle inside Mexican prison injures eight

A gun battle between rival prison gangs in an overcrowded western Mexico penitentiary injured eight inmates, authorities said Saturday

The shooting started Friday evening, as prisoners' family members and friends were leaving the Venustiano Carranza correction facility in Tepic, the capital of the western state of Nayarit, at the conclusion of visiting hours, according to state officials. Cora Cecilia Pinedo, Nayarit's interior secretary, told reporters that what occurred was not a riot, but rather a battle between two gangs of inmates grappling for control of drugs, weapons and other illegal contraband openly bought and sold inside the penitentiary.

Mexico City's El Universal newspaper reported on its Web site that 15 people, apparently prison visitors, were arrested for supplying weapons and otherwise participating in the gun battle. But Pinedo said only that authorities were investigating how inmates obtained the weapons. Built to house 700 inmates, Venustiano Carranza today holds close to 2,000, making it difficult for prison authorities to control gangs of inmates that operate inside.

[  tucsoncitizen.com

24. November 2005

NIGERIA

innerhalb von 4 tagen wurden bei drei riots in verschiedenen knästen 5 gefangene getötet und 10 gefangene und 4 wärter verletzt.

Nigeria prison riot claims two

Lagos - Two Nigerian prisoners were killed and seven injured after warders fired tear gas to quell another riot, the third to erupt in the West African country in four days, said police on Thursday. The riot at the prison in the southwest Nigerian town of Abeokuta came just days after violence there and at another facility in the northern town of Sokoto on Sunday left three inmates dead and seven people, including four warders, injured.

Police spokesperson Kayode Alamu said: "Trouble started on Wednesday when prison officials acting on a tip-off attempted to search the cells for weapons like machetes, knives, and bottles, which some of the inmates were alleged to be keeping." He said: "The prisoners resisted the search and the warders had to use tear gas to disperse them. Two of them were fatally hit, while seven had injuries." Prison riots were frequent in Nigeria because of overcrowding and poor living conditions of inmates, most of whom had spent years awaiting trial.

[  news24.com

23. November 2005

USA

es gab vielleicht einen riot im la tuna bundesknast in anthony / texas. Ein gefangener wurde verletzt in ein krankenhaus gebracht, aber die knastleitung gibt keine auskünfte.

PRISON Riot?

At least one inmate was sent to the hospital after what might have been a riot at an Anthony prison. Officials at the La Tuna Federal Correctional Facility remained tight-lipped about an alleged incident Tuesday night. According to Anthony police, they were called out to the prison between 7 and 7:30 p.m., and had heard about a potential riot. Authorities told KFOX at least one inmate was transported in serious condition to Thomason hospital. As of Wednesday morning, prison officials have not commented on the situation.

[  kfoxtv.com

7. November 2005

USA

ein 23 jähriger mann im penobscot knast einen hungerstreik nach vier wochen abgebrochen. Dadurch ist die kontroverse diskussion über zwangsernährung , das oberste gericht des staates hatte diese angeordnet, aber klinikmitarbeiterinnen und ärzte haben dies abgelehnt, vorerst wieder abgebrochen.

INMATE ends hunger strike in Penobscot County Jail

A Penobscot County Jail inmate ended a four-week hunger strike when he ate a peanut butter sandwich on Saturday followed by eggs and toast, canned pears and two glasses of juice on Sunday. James Emerson, 23, lost more than 25 pounds after going on the hunger strike. Emerson said he would rather starve to death than go to prison.

The decision puts to rest the controversy over whether Emerson should be force-fed or be allowed to die in jail of starvation or dehydration, said Penobscot County Sheriff Glen Ross. A Superior Court judge ruled in late October that Emerson could be forced to take intravenous nourishment if he persisted in his slow-motion suicide attempt. But local hospitals resisted the order, saying they were legally and ethically bound to respect the patient's wishes unless he was found mentally incompetent or incapable of making his wishes known.

Emerson's attorney sought to have the original order overturned on the grounds that forced feeding would constitute a violation of his client's right to privacy, but Judge Andrew Mead denied the motion on Friday. Emerson likely would have been taken to Eastern Maine Medical Center early this week, though the hospital had not indicated any change in its position on the matter.

Emerson didn't give any specific reason for changing his mind about eating, Ross said. During the hunger strike, he took occasional sips of water and juice. His request for food came after a visit from his mother, Penny Emerson of Bangor. "I told him he was starting to look pretty bad and that I was afraid he'd do permanent damage to his health," she said. "He said it was no longer his mission to kill himself and that he would ask for a sandwich after I left."

Emerson has been held since April at the jail, where he's charged with theft, burglary, and probation violations. He also faces a weapons charge in U.S. District Court. Penny Emerson said her son feels hopeless about his future. After he was released in April from Maine State Prison, where he served about four years for armed robbery, it was only a few weeks before he had lost his job and resumed criminal behaviors, she said.

"They need employment services, guidance, a place to stay while they get headed in the right direction," she said. "The way it is now, they just get thrown out on the street again. They could just as well get thrown into the middle of the Pacific Ocean."

[  boston.com

5. November 2005

GHANA

Five-Hundred Refugees Revolt

More than 500 refugees have broken loose from the refugee camp at Krisan in the Nzema East District of the Western Region and crammed into an area at the Elubo border citing poor feeding and accommodation conditions.The refugees, who are from 10 countries in Africa, relocated at Elubo, claiming it was an attempt to draw international attention to their plight.Their spokesman, Kennedy Vanyan, a Liberian, alleged that they were poorly accommodated and were being fed on meagre food supplies of three cups of rice for a month, two tins of tuna fish, a cup of sugar, one small bag of salt and 12 kilogrammes of maize.He further alleged that the refugees had been made to sleep in groups of five in one room, creating overcrowding which could precipitate infections.

UNHCR Dismisses Allegations

However, the United Nations High Commission on Refugees (UNHCR), responsible for assisting governments to protect and take care of refugees and the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), which has oversight responsibility for the management of the refugee camp had dismissed the allegations.They said those disgruntled refugees were making those allegations in order to draw attention and win sympathy so that they could be resettled in developed countries such as the United States of America, Canada and Australia.

The Krisan Refugee Camp, with capacity to accommodate more than 2,000 refugees, was set up by the Ghana government in 1996 in the wake of the Liberian conflict.At the moment, the camp is hosting about 1,700 refugees from African countries.It has a police post, a clinic, a library, a school and a recreation centre. The rooms and surroundings of the camp are fumigated every three months.Currently, Ghana hosts a grand total of 64,000 refugees mainly from Sudan, Cote d’Ivoire, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Togo, Rwanda, Eritrea, Congo DR, Congo Brazaville and Somalia.

The Ghana government,UNHCR, World Food Programme and agencies such as the Catholic Relief Agency are providing various forms of support for the sustenance of the refugees.It has been noted that refugees have been fleeing to Ghana because of the proverbial Ghanaian hospitality and relative peace in the country.Last July, asylum seekers from Sudan, whose status was still being determined by the authorities, inflicted a machete wound on an official of the Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), Mr Isaac Asomani, his arm got fractured and they chased him, together with the policeman on duty, Constable John Ali, out of the fort.

Using firewood as their weapon the asylum seekers broke the door to the reception of the fort before attacking the two officers.According to the spokesman of the refugees, Mr Vanyan, apart from the lack of adequate accommodation and also poor feeding, the refugees were not healthy and lacked educational facilities.He said some of the refugees had been in the camp for nine to 14 years without any documents covering their status as refugees.He added that they had been given only identity cards, which in themselves did not confer on them any privilege or rights.Mr Vanyan said the refugees had met with officials of the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI), Ghana Police Service and Customs, Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS) at Elubo to discuss their plight.

Unfortunately, he explained the officials of the three organisations said they could not solve the problem for them.When contacted on telephone, Mr Padmore Kofi Nyankopa-Arthur, Western Regional Co-ordinator of NADMO, said the Krisan Refugee Camp was among the best if not the best refugee camp in Africa.He said it was sited close to the Eikwe Catholic Hospital, which served as a referral health facility and to good schools in the area to ensure that the refugees had access to good health facility and education.

Mr Nyankopa-Arthur explained that there were a few refugees who were urging some of their colleagues to flee the Krisan Camp as wa to win public sympathy.He said there were three arrangements for resettlement of refugees and explained that one of the arrangements was that the refugee could decide to go on voluntary repatrration to his or her country especially when peace had been restored to that country.Under the second arrangement, the refugee can apply to be reintegrated into the host country such as Ghana.The third option is that the refugee can be resettled in a developed country.Mr Nyankopa-Arthur observed that most of the refugees preferred to be resettled in a developed country.

He has said that the USA, Canada and Australia are the countries which often apply to receive refugees.Mr Nyankopa-Arthur added that although the Sudanese refugees resettled in Ghana only six months ago, they had been fortunate to be offered resettlement packages by the USA, a development which refugees from other countries had become envious of.According to him, Ghana government and UNHCR did not control the offers made by countries such as the USA, Canada and Australia and that the countries provided forms for the refugees to fill, then the countries did their selection.

UNHCR Explains Concept

A statement issued by UNHCR, in response to the concerns of the refugees, said it was the responsibility of the commission to assist the Ghana government to provide protection and security for the refugees.It stressed that a comprehensive registration ensured that all the refugees received equal access to available assistance.

In addition, the statement said, the entire population of refugees received full care and maintenance including shelter in individual permanent houses, 2100, calorie daily food basket free, with referral to the district hospital at Ekwe.They also received items including bed nets, insecticide spray, cooking utensils, mattresses, buckets, sanitary towels, local stoves, charcoal and kerosene.The UNHCR has provided free basic education, including supply of uniforms, and books to all refugee children, scholarship opportunities for secondary, professional and vocational training as well as university education.

Currently, the statement said, there was an ongoing free skills training with a recent expansion of income generating activities in an effort to promote self-reliance within the refugee population.The UNHCR notes that although the refugee programme globally has gaps as a result of funding shortfalls, the commission was doing its best under the circumstances to meet established standards.However, it has given assurance that in partnership with the Ghana Government, the commission would continue to provide protection and assistance to the refugees until such time that a lasting solution is found to their predicaments.

Story: Nehemiah Owusu Achiaw

[  graphicghana.info

4. November 2005

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

nachdem mehrere gefangene sich weigerten in andere knäste gebracht zu werden, kam es in dem knast der stadt moca zu riots bei denen gefangener starb und mehrere verletzt wurden.

Violent riot in Moca prison: 1 dead, several injured

MOCA.- One dead and several injured is the result of a violent riot in the jail of this municipality. while the prison compound?s security was reinforced with members of the National Police from Santiago and other nearby town. The riot in the facility, which is managed by the National army, which caused alarm in the vicinity where it is the prison

The body of the inmate, who has yet to be identified, was taken to the public hospital here. Preliminary reports indicate that there are several wounded in the prison, located in the country?s north central region.

[  dominicantoday.com

3. November 2005

INDIA

104 gefangene des pandampur knast nahmen 4 wärter als geiseln um gegen das schlechte essen zu protestieren. Nach einem tag wurde ihnen einige verbesserungen zugesagt, und die geiseln wurden freigelassen.

Orissa jail siege ends, prisoners free staff after talks with SP

A day after prisoners took four staff, including the jailor, of the Padampur sub-jail hostage, the district administration finally managed to break the stalemate and secure the release of the personnel on Thursday. The agitating inmates relented after four rounds of talks with Sambalpur SP S Devdutt Singh and Collector JP Das, who assured them of ensuring supply of good quality food to them and taking steps to redress other grievances.

More than 104 inmates including five women, led by one Purushottam Sahu, had overpowered Jailor Joseph Barik, warden Trilochan Rana along with staff personnel Bibhisan Amri and Gokul Suna on Wednesday and locked them inside a cell to protest the low quality food provided to them. They also locked the main gate of the jail from inside and snapped power supply to prevent police from entering the premises. Sahu, who is facing a forgery case, alleged that he was beaten up after he protested the food quality and quantity that was served to him. The inmates also demanded a high level probe on the illegal felling of trees, disposal of barbed wires for personal gain and other irregularities committed by the jail staff. Both collector and SP were in the prison cell the whole night trying to persuade the inmates to release the jail staff.

[  indianexpress.com

November 2005

KYRGYZTAN

es gibt weitere riots in den knästen im land. Leider gibt es nur wenige infos: im knast modovanovka gab es einen schußwechsel und verletzte, aber keine nähren angaben. Und in dem knast in petrovka gibt es verhandlungen der polizei mit den gefangenen, wieso und warum ist nicht bekannt.

in 7 knästen, einer davon für u-haft, sind riots, die angebl. ausbrachen weil ein gefangener , der als mafia-boss bezeichnet wird, verlegt werden sollte. Bisher sind nach offiziellen angaben 5 menschen tot. Der präsident sieht in den unruhen einen versuch "die politische situation zu destabilisieren" .

Kyrgyz penitentiary riots death toll five - authorities

4. november 2005

The death toll of the riots in a penal colony outside Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan's capital, November 1 has risen to five, the republic's penitentiary service said Friday. "A inmate wounded in the November 1 events has died," the head of the service, Kapar Mukeyev, said. Earlier, the service put the death toll at four. Rioting in Kyrgyz penitentiaries began in late October when inmates at a high-security penal colony attacked inspectors killing the chief of the penitentiary service, a lawmaker and his assistants. After that, a wave of inmate uprisings swept Kyrgyz prisons. Riots reached their peak November 1 when prisoners found out police were going to move criminal boss Aziz Batukayev.

[  rian.ru

RIOTS continue in six Kyrgyz prisons

2. November 2005

Rioting has continued in six penitentiaries and a pre-trial detention center in Kyrgyzstan, the head of the central penitentiary department said Wednesday. Kapar Mukeyev said the inmates were on a hunger strike but that order had been maintained in other prisons. He added that no mass resistance had been encountered by police in the prisons since Tuesday. Police ordered prisoners to hand over all prohibited objects, such as guns, knives, and drugs, by Thursday morning. Riots erupted Tuesday in at least seven high-security penitentiaries and detention centers in Kyrgyzstan when it became known that police were going to take criminal boss Aziz Batukayev away. Police stormed a prison facility to seize Batukayev, killing several inmates.

[  rian.ru

Kyrgyz president praises police raids on penitentiaries

2. November 2005

Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiyev said Wednesday that law enforcement agencies' efforts to restore order in Kyrgyzstan's penitentiaries after a series of riots had been "absolutely correct." Bakiyev told a news conference: "The law enforcement agencies acted absolutely correctly on November 1. I cannot permit armed criminals to command prisons." "Those who break the law will be punished under the law. I guarantee this as president," he said. "Those people who want to speak with authorities in the language of weapons will not succeed. This will only result in victims."

Tuesday's riots were an attempt by some forces to destabilize the political situation in the country in a bid to oust the president and seize power in the republic, Bakiyev said, adding that the situation was now completely under the control of the president and the government. Prison wardens had already been removed from inside the country's penal colonies to guard perimeters after a parliamentary inspection group was attacked in one colony on October 20. Three men were then killed, and the head of the republic's penitentiary service died later in hospital.

Deputy Justice Minister Sergei Zubov said that crime boss Aziz Batukayev had ordered Tuesday's riots, which erupted in at least seven high-security penitentiaries and detention centers. "Riots and uprisings took place at virtually all [penal] colonies and detention facilities," he said, adding that they were carried out under the orders of Batukayev, who had issued them by phone when police were preparing to storm the Moldovanka penal colony N13, 12 miles north of Bishkek, to transfer him to a detention center in the capital.

[  rian.ru

Gunfire reported in Kyrgyz prison

1. November 2005

Gunfire and casualties have been reported in a Kyrgyz prison some 20 kilometers from the capital, Bishkek, news agencies reported. The gunfire reportedly erupted when riot police entered the prison on Tuesday, presumably to retake control of the facility following an insurrection last month and the murder of a parliamentarian who was visiting the prison's hospital.

The Associated Press quoted witnesses as saying that at least two ambulances had already left the Modovanovka prison colony and that the facility was surrounded by dozens of Kyrgyz troops. A senior Justice Ministry official told AP that there had been casualties, but would not offer any further details. Yaha Batukaeva, sister of criminal boss Aziz Batukaev, who was held in the prison, said he had been injured in Tuesday's operation and moved to the security service's detention center in Bishkek, AP reported. In a separate incident that also occurred on Tuesday, police in the southern region of Jalal Abad said inmates were rioting at a prison facility there, but no casualties have been reported.

The country's AKIpress news agency said police officers were negotiating with inmates at a third prison in the village of Petrovka, but no further details were available. Parliamentarian Tynychbek Akmatbaev and two of his aides were killed during a visit to a high-security prison in late October. The circumstances surrounding their deaths are still not clear. According to police reports that have not been independently confirmed, Akmatbaev went to inspect the prison in Bishkek, provoking a prison riot. The lawmaker was taken hostage in the incident and then shot dead, along with two of his bodyguards.

[  isn.ethz.ch

29. October 2005

USA

ärzte des eastern maine medical center weigerten sich einer richterlichen anordnung zu folgen und haben sich geweigert einen mann der "in der mitte" eines 18 tägigen hungerstreiks ist, zwangszuernähren.

INMATE back in jail after hospital refuses to force-feed him

An inmate who is in the midst of an 18-day hunger strike is back in the Penobscot County Jail in Bangor after Eastern Maine Medical Center refused to force-feed him despite a court order obtained by the sheriff. Twenty-three year old James Emerson has been at the jail since April on charges of theft, burglary and probation violations. He has lost more than 25 pounds, or 20 percent of his body weight, after taking only small amounts of food and water.

His lawyer quotes him as saying he wants to die. Sheriff Glenn Ross, a jail chaplain and Emerson's mother met with the inmate today but were unable to persuade him to accept food. Emerson was transported to the hospital last night after a judge issued a temporary restraining order requiring that the inmate be fed. The case was apparently the first of its kind in Maine. Ross said he was surprised and disappointed that the hospital refused to feed Emerson. But hospital spokeswoman Jill McDonald said Eastern Maine Medical Center is not a party to court orders and has different obligations.

[  wlbz2.com

28. October 2005

AUSTRALIA

der knast berrimah in darwin ist unter lockdown nachdem sich 60 gefangene weigerten in ihre zellen zurückzugehen.

Darwin jail in lockdown after disturbance

A disturbance at Darwin's Berrimah jail has forced the lockdown of several blocks. Prison officers say about 80 inmates refused to return to their cells late yesterday morning, complaining about poor meals and a lack of activities.

Officers say the prisoners threatened violence unless their demands were met, reportedly saying "there'll be trouble, the blocks are going to erupt". As the stand-off escalated, guards armed themselves with tear gas and donned full riot gear including vests and helmets. But the disturbance was eventually quelled when the ringleaders were isolated and locked down overnight. The Justice Department says the incident involved only three inmates and riot gear is standard practice.

[  abc.net.au

20. October 2005

USA

im jugendknast camp glenn rock gab es einen riot. Es gibt weder angaben warum noch wieviele jugendliche sich beteiligt haben oder ob welche verletzt wurden.

Riot erupts at juvenile detention camp

Authorities responded to a disturbance at a youth camp in San Dimas Saturday evening. Details were sketchy as of Saturday, but the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department got a call to assist Los Angeles County Probation officers with a riot at Camp Glenn Rocky, a juvenile detention center at 1900 Sycamore Canyon Road, said a sheriff's spokesman. Los Angeles County Fire responded to a call of an assault at the camp at 8:49 p.m., said Los Angeles County Fire Inspector Jason Hurd. There were no details on how many inmates were injured or what caused the disturbance

[  dailybulletin.com

21. October 2005

KYRGYZTAN

ein abgeordneter und zwei seiner berater wurden im knast von moldavanovka , 20 km westlich von bishkek erschossen, der chef der knastbehörde wurde verletzt. der abgeordnete , leiter einer regierungskommission für die knäste, war erst in Novopokrovka, wo er als vermittler tätig war. In einer krankenstation wurden die männer als geiseln genommen. Wie und warum es zur tötung der drei kam ist unklar, die gefangenen sollen angebl. einen mann, der geschossen haben soll, an die behörden ausgeliefert haben. Auch in moldavanovka haben die wärter den knast verlassen und stehen mit waffen vor dem knast.

Guards pulled out of Kyrgyz jails

All guards and staff have been told to leave Kyrgyzstan's jails for security reasons, the day after an MP was killed by inmates during a prison visit.

Security forces are instead stationed outside to ensure no prisoners escape, a justice ministry spokesman said. MP Tynchbek Akmatbayev and two aides were shot dead on Thursday, after being taken hostage in Moldavanovka prison.

There are fears that further violence might be organised by criminal networks among the inmates. But addressing an emergency parliamentary session on Friday, Prime Minister Felix Kulov said the situation in the prison had now "been normalised". "The government is able to, and will, control the situation in the prison colonies," he told lawmakers.

Prisoner protests

Prisons service spokesman Sergei Sidorov told Reuters news agency: "During the night we ordered all staff and civilians working in our penitentiaries to leave." There are more than 30 prisons in Kyrgyzstan affected by the ruling, with nearly 20,000 inmates. There have been frequent reports of bad living conditions in Kyrgyz prisons, and several protests have taken place inside jails in recent months.

Akmatbayev and his aides were shot dead after being taken hostage during a visit to Moldavanovka prison, about 25km (15 miles) outside the capital, Bishkek. The incident happened while the politician and his entourage were in the tuberculosis hospital attached to the prison, on a visit to assess living conditions. The others who died are said to have been members of Akmatbayev's entourage. Prison service head Imatulla Polotov was also severely beaten by the inmates and is in serious condition. The killer was later identified and turned over to the authorities by inmates, according to Russian news agencies.

The exact circumstances of the killings are still unclear, but some deputies say they may be related to criminal feuding, says the BBC's Central Asia correspondent, Ian MacWilliam. There are reports that Akmatbayev's brother was involved in a conflict with a criminal boss inside the prison. But Mr Kulov said "there were no clear signs that this was a politically motivated murder".

He said Akmatbayev had violated jail rules by being armed during his visit. The deaths came after two days of unrest at nearby Novopokrovka prison. Inmates there had been protesting about bad food, damp accommodation, inadequate clothing and a lack of hot water. Akmatbayev was chairman of a parliamentary committee on security and policing, and had been involved in negotiations with prisoners at Novopokrovka.

Kyrgyzstan has witnessed several violent incidents since the overthrow of ex-President Askar Akayev in March. Akmatbayev is the third member of parliament to meet a violent death. Two other deputies were shot dead in killings that may have been related to business rivalries.

[  bbc.co.uk

MP killed in Kyrgyz jail unrest

20. oktober

A member of Kyrgyzstan's parliament and at least two others have been killed by inmates during a prison visit. Tynchbek Akmatbayev was shot dead after being taken hostage during a visit to Moldavanovka prison, about 25km (15 miles) outside the capital, Bishkek. The others who died are said to have been members of his entourage. The head of the prisons service, Imatulla Polotov, was critically injured. The killings come after two days of unrest at nearby Novopokrovka prison. Inmates there have been protesting about bad food, damp accommodation, inadequate clothing and a lack of hot water.

Mr Akmatbayev, a prominent MP, was chairman of a parliamentary committee on security and policing. He had been involved in negotiations with prisoners at Novopokrovka, about 20km (12 miles) east of Bishkek, where inmates were said to have forced prison officers outside the building. Beaten

He and his entourage were in the tuberculosis hospital attached to Moldavanovka prison on a visit to assess living conditions when they were taken hostage. "Akmatbayev was shot dead," said Sergei Sidorov, spokesman for the sentencing board. Mr Polotov was severely beaten but survived. Prime Minister Felix Kulov is reported to have gone to the prison and successfully negotiated the release of Mr Akmatbayev's body.

A prison official told a news agency that the guards had vacated the prison, leaving it in full control of the approximately 450 inmates. He could not say how the prisoners acquired weapons. An official said the situation at the other prison in Novopokrovka was now calm. Kyrgyzstan has witnessed several violent incidents since the overthrow of ex-President Askar Akayev in March.

[  news.bbc.co.uk

19. October 2005

KYRGISTAN

mind. 2 gefangene sollen bei einem riot in Novopokrovka, eine sog. strenges-system-knastkolonie, von den rioters getötet worden sein. Die wärter haben das gelände verlassen haben und stehen bewaffnet um den knast herum . Die riots brachen aus , nachdem gefangene eine verbesserung ihrer haftbedingungen forderten.

At Least 2 Convicts Killed in Kyrgyz Prison Riot

The staff of the strict-regime prison colony near Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, have had to evacuate the establishment because of riots, which started on Tuesday. Two convicts have been killed, Russian news agencies reported Wednesday.

The press service of the Justice Ministry told Interfax today that "guards at the strict-regime colony (20 km far from Bishkek) have been on alert since Oct. 18". "All the staff were taken out of the colony Tuesday by an order issued by the acting head of the colony due to the riots in the colony. At present, armed staff are now guarding the perimeter of the colony from the outside," the press service said.

Convicts imprisoned for committing grave crimes are kept in the colony, Itar Tass added. According to preliminary data from human rights activists, at least two convicts have been killed in the colony as a result of the riots. According to sources from the penitentiary, "the riots started after convicts demanded that their living conditions be improved". The Justice Ministry source did not rule out that the riots were specially organized by criminal structures. "At present, all measures are being taken to stabilize the situation," the sources at the penitentiary said.

[  mosnews.com

18. October 2005

MEXICO

nach dem tod einer gefangenen durch einen herzschlag kam es in dem frauenknast santa martha acatitla zu einem riot. Nach etwas über einer stunde stürmte riotpolizei den knast und nach aussagen von gefangenen wurden zwei kinder durch den einsatz von tränengas getötet. Dies wird von den knastbehörden bestritten. In dem knast sind etwa 1.300 frauen inhaftiert, wieviele kinder dort leben ist nicht angegeben, nur das kinder im alter bis 6 jahre mit ihren müttern im knast sind.

PROTESTS erupt in women's prison

Dozens of riot police on Monday poured into a women's jail in eastern Mexico City to quell protests after an inmate died of an apparent heart attack. Protesters at Santa Martha Acatitla prison hung burning clothes from the windows along with protest signs proclaiming "no more death" and "we are innocent."

Inmate Norma Angélica Ortega Sierra, 47, died at approximately 8 a.m. on Monday inside the prison. Authorities said that the cause of death was a heart attack induced by a drug overdose. Ortega's fellow inmates, however, said that she had been exhibiting distress signals for at least three hours prior to her death, and that she was denied medical attention by prison officials. Ortega's death sparked the subsequent protests, and at approximately 9:30 a.m., riot police stormed the facility and put down the unrest.

Police fired gas cannisters during the action, and initial reports from the protesters claimed that at least two young children living inside the prison were killed by the gas. Officials denied that claim, but confirmed that children up to the age of six are allowed to live in the prison with their incarcerated mothers. Prison officials met in the afternoon with inmate leaders to listen to grievances, and 10 representatives from the Mexico City Human Rights Commission attended the meeting as well. About 1,300 inmates, all of them female, currently are held at the facility.

[  eluniversal.com.mx

17. oktober 2005

ARGENTINA

im knast in magdalena, 120 km südlich von buenos aires, sind durch einen brand mindestens 32 menschen getötet und 6 verletzt worden. Der justizminister der provinz buenos aires behauptet die gefangenen hätten miteinander gekämpft, aber viele augenzeugen , die gefangene selbst und die knastbehörden sagen, das etwa 200 gefangene einen riot begannen und den knast zumindest eine nacht übernommen hatten. Auslöser soll die forderung nach verlängerter besuchszeit am muttertag gewesen sein. Der brand soll entstanden sein nachdem rioter ihre matratzen anzündeten. Die meisten der toten sollen erstickt sein.

Argentina investigates jail fire
Some relatives briefly scuffled with the police

The authorities in Argentina are trying to identify a number of bodies after a deadly prison fire on Sunday. At least 32 inmates died and six were injured in a blaze during an uprising at a jail in Magdalena, south-east of the capital.

Nine bodies have not been identified, said Buenos Aires province Justice Minister Eduardo Di Rocco. The blaze was started during a fight, when prisoners set mattress and blankets on fire. The smoke and flames spread quickly.

Mr Di Rocco said most of those killed died from asphyxiation, but some of the bodies also had knife wounds sustained during the fight. A prison warden received serious head injuries. The bodies were taken to the jail chapel for identification. Hundreds of families gathered outside the prison desperate for news of jailed relatives, and there were some scuffles with the police.

Protest

An investigation into the uprising is under way.

Earlier there had been a protest at the prison demanding better conditions and longer visiting hours for Mother's Day, but the authorities deny the fire was started as part of the protest. The BBC's Tom Gibb in the region says riots and fires are increasingly common in Argentina's jails, as they are in the rest of Latin America.

The prisons have become overcrowded in the last decade and the country has faced a serious crime wave following the collapse of the economy four years ago. Earlier this year, eight people died after inmates rioted at Argentina's Cordoba prison.

[  news.bbc.co.uk

Mother's Day riot kills 32 Argentine prisoners

17. oktober 2005

An Argentine prison uprising over Mother's Day visiting hours has killed at least 32 people before being brought under control.

Argentine television station TN reports about 200 inmates joined the uprising that began on Saturday night at the prison in Magdalena, 120 kilometres south of the capital of Buenos Aires. Fernando Diaz, the director of the Buenos Aires province penitentiary service, says at least 32 people died before order was restored on Sunday morning.

"We have taken control of the jail, which was in the hands of inmates overnight, and there is no area outside our control now," he said. "The inmates have returned to their cells and we are doing a recount." The prisoners began their revolt to have visiting hours extended on Sunday for Mother's Day.

TN reports smoke was rising from the prison compound after inmates set mattresses aflame, sparking a fire that later spread and may have been fatal. Officials would not comment on the cause of the blaze. Several family members say they entered the prison early Sunday morning and saw corpses "piled on top of one another". Hundreds of inmates' relatives stood outside the jail at midday, demanding information about the identity of the dead.

[  abc.net.au

Argentina jail fire suffocates 32 inmates to death

16. oktober 2005

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina, Oct 16 (Reuters) - A fire killed 32 prisoners on Sunday after battling inmates set mattresses aflame and briefly took control of a local jail, in one of Argentina's worst outbreaks of prison violence in recent decades.

It was the third and bloodiest such incident since February in Argentina, where problems common to Latin America such as jail overcrowding and gang violence persist. Eduardo Di Rocco, the justice minister in Buenos Aires province, denied initial local media reports that inmates had revolted to have visiting hours extended.

"It appears the 32 dead perished from carbon monoxide inhalation," Di Rocco told local television station TN, referring to the prison in Magdalena, 75 miles (120 km) southeast of the capital of Buenos Aires. He attributed the incident, which lasted through the night and was quelled on Sunday morning, to inmate infighting.

Several family members said they saw corpses "piled on top of one another" when they entered the jail in the early morning hours.

"This was a total massacre," said one woman, who at midday was anxiously waiting outside the jail along with hundreds of other family members to find out which inmates had died. Six prisoners were injured but none of them seriously, the justice ministry said. Four prison guards suffered burns and two were wounded, including the warden, who was in grave condition after inmates struck his head with a wooden object.

Nearly 1,050 prisoners were housed at the Magdalena jail, according to the provincial justice ministry. The fighting broke out in a minimum-security cell block, where prisoners set small fires to keep guards from intervening.

The blaze asphyxiated many inmates and spread to a nearby kitchen and crafts workshop. Prisoners in other areas grew agitated, beating on their cell bars and breaking some locks. Smoke was seen rising from the prison compound and inmates were filmed jumping up and down on top of a low building. Guards finally re-established order, penitentiary service officials said. Di Rocco told reporters that officials were working to identify the bodies and inform relatives.

[  alertnet.org

7. October 2005

UK

nach einem sechsstündigem riot sind 76 gefangene in andere knäste verlegt worden, da mehrere trakte des hindley jugendknastes wegen feuer, bzw. wasserschäden geschlossen sind. Die unruhen begannen mit 26 gefangenen die sich weigerten zurück in die zellen zu gehen. Wieviele menschen sich insgesamt beteiligt haben steht nicht im artikel, auch nicht wieviele verletzt wurden, nur das welche verletzt sind.

Inmates riot at young offenders' institution

The Prison Service has confirmed that a young offenders' institution suffered substantial damage in a six-hour riot on Wednesday night. Seventy-six prisoners were moved to other jails after a number of wings were closed because of flood and fire damage. The disturbance, at Hindley young offenders' institution, near Wigan, began when 26 inmates refused to return to their cells. Snooker balls and cues were said to have been used as weapons and sinks were ripped off walls. No staff were injured, but a number of inmates were understood to have suffered superficial wounds.

[  guardian.co.uk

29. September 2005

UZBEKISTAN

14 menschen, die am 18. juni festgenommen wurden und denen eine beteiligung an den ereignissen in andizhan vorgeworfen wird, obwohl nur einer davon im mai in der stadt war, sind in einem hungerstreik und verlangen ihre freilassung sowie eine unabhängige untersuchung.

HUNGER-STRIKE IN THE IVANOVO DETENTION CELL

Memorial Human Rights Center reports that fourteen Uzbeks in the Ivanovo Detention Cell (IZ 37/1) went on a hunger-strike on September 26. The protesters demand an immediate release and a meeting with OSCE and UN representatives and S. Valkov, chairman of the regional human rights commission. The detainees also demand establishment of an independent international commission to investigate the charges brought by the Uzbek authorities.

The fourteen (12 citizens of Uzbekistan, one citizen of Kyrgyzstan, and one Russian) were arrested on June 18, 2005. As soon as the news reached Tashkent that same day, Uzbek law enforcement agencies pressed charges against the detainees in connection with the events in Andizhan. Charges were pressed under Articles 97 (murder), 155 (terrorism), 159 (encroachment on the constitutional regime), 242 (organization of a gang), 244 (mass riots), etc. of the Criminal Code of Uzbekistan. The Uzbek Prosecutor General's Office demanded their extradition to Uzbekistan four days later, on June 22, even though only one detainee had been in Andizhan on May 12-14 (he returned to his native town to get a new passport).

The detainees went on a hunger-strike on September 26 in the morning. Their spokesmen Khatam Khadzhimatov and Ilkhom Ismailov informed wardens of their demands and were asked to call the strike off in return for the promise to get the answer from the prosecutor's office by September 28. The detainees decided to continue the protest action later that day, claiming that they did not trust the local authorities anymore. As far as human rights organizations are concerned, the Russian authorities display political sympathies with Islam Karimov's regime and ignore numerous and gross encroachments on the rights of the Ivanovo Prisoners. Khadzhimatov, a citizen of Russia, spent nearly three months in custody without a court warrant. Responding to his protests and complaints, on September 15 the Soviet District Court of Ivanovo extended his detention "for extradition to Uzbekistan" even though the Russian Constitution expressly forbids extradition of citizens of Russia to foreign countries.

Lawyers say that extradition requests from Uzbekistan include numerous mistakes - names are misspelled, incorrect dates of birth and addresses are given. Official Russian documents indicate that the arrests were made on June 20 but witnesses say that the men in question were detained on June 18 and were tortured and interrogated by representatives of Russian law enforcement agencies and Uzbek secret services.

[  ferghana.ru

28. September 2005

UZBEKISTAN

die menschenrechtsaktivistin yelena urlayeva, die gegen ihren willen in eine psychiatrie eingewiesen wurde, ist seit dem 27. september im hungerstreik

Human rights activist Yelena Urlayeva calls a hunger-strike

[  enews.ferghana.ru

26. September 2005

INDIA

nach dem tod von zwei gefangenen von denen einer suizid begangen haben soll und ein anderer an einer krankheit starb, gab es im knast von agra einen riot bei dem 8/ 12 menschen verletzt wurden.

VIOLENCE in Agra jail; eight hurt

Violence broke out in Agra district jail on Sunday as inmates went out of control for more than five hours after the death of two inmates, one of whom committed suicide while the other died of illness. Sustained brick-batting and arson left at least eight persons including four policemen injured. Principal secretary, prisons, Jagjit Singh later told TOI that jailor Sukhbir Singh Chauhan and two of his deputies, Amrendra Nath Tripathi and Sriprakash Tripathi, had been put under suspension.

Additional director general (ADG) prisons BB Singh has been entrusted with the inquiry into Sunday's incident and will submit a report to the state government by Monday evening. Reports said violence broke out when Kuldeep, an inmate of barrack number 3, committed suicide by hanging himself from a hook meant to hang clothes. In the suicide note that he left behind, he stated that he was being humiliated by the jail staff after being accused of false charges and unable to take it any more was ending his life. Infuriated over his death, the prisoners went berserk.

As a coincidence, Aslam - who was in the jail hospital - died at this very time. This added fuel to the fire. Initial resistance from the jail security staff proved futile as the prisoners, who grossly outnumbered the security staff, attacked the latter. As stone-pelting continued from inside the barracks, prisoners collected pieces of furniture from the kitchen and some utensils, which were then set ablaze in the centre lawn. This scared the jail staff to the extent that they fled the premises.

The inmates then reached up to the main entrance where they were confronted by a posse of men from the district police who were their only barrier to freedom. There was another version to how events had unfolded. It was alleged that Kuldeep had been thrashed by some inmates on Saturday after he failed to meet their demand of Rs 2000 as "protection money."

He was beaten up with slippers which left him more humiliated than injured. This was not the first time that he had been meted out such treatment. Prisoners talking to senior officials later claimed that Kuldeep was so hurt by the incident that he did not take dinner and kept awake all night

[  timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Suicide sparks riots at Indian prison; one killed, 12 injured

26. september 2005

One person was dead and 12 injured Sunday following violent prison protests in northern India sparked by the suicide of an inmate who was allegedly beaten by guards who tried to extort money from him, officials and inmates said. The rioting erupted after inmate Kuldeep Singh reportedly hanged himself Saturday evening at the prison in northern Uttar Pradesh state. Soon after Singh's body was found hanging from the ceiling of his cell on Sunday morning, enraged inmates set fire to furniture and ransacked prison offices, leading jail wardens to beat them back with bamboo truncheons. The inmates also threw utensils at the jailers and burned prison linen.

[  indiadaily.com

26. September 2005

THAILAND

ein 14 stündiger riot im lopburi knast, bei dem mehrer gebäude zerstört worden, soll wegen fehlendem wasser und dem verbot von kickbox übertragungen im tv ausgebrochen sein.

PRISON riot over lack of water, ban on TV program ends in Thailand

A 14-hour prison riot ended yesterday in central Thailand after hundreds of angry convicts burned down buildings citing a lack of water for washing and the barring of kickboxing from television, officials said. All of the prisoners surrendered by about 9 a.m. when the head of the Corrections Department agreed to improve the availability of water, restore kickboxing viewing privileges, and to transfer the prison warden. The protest began Saturday and turned violent after nightfall as prisoners burned down a furniture workshop and one of three cell blocks in central Lopburi province. Two prisoners were injured by broken glass during the riot.

Warden Udom Ratanapokin said TV viewing of the highly popular sport of kickboxing was stopped two months ago because it fueled gambling controlled by mafia elements within the prison. Betting on kickboxing is also popular throughout the country. Relatives of some inmates complained prisoners had fallen into heavy debt because of kickboxing betting, he said.

Udom accused prison bookmakers of engineering the riot because the TV ban had hurt their business. He said prisoner complaints about a lack of water were just a pretext. "I stopped them from watching the boxing to prevent them from involvement in betting on the fights, and strictly banned all gambling in the prison. They cannot conduct sinful activities in prison," Udom said. He said the prisoners' water supply was cut only once, on Saturday, when there was a problem with the taps. Repairs were quickly made, he added.

Lopburi Central Prison houses 1,794 prisoners, more than 70 percent of them convicted for drug offenses.

[  etaiwannews.com

14-hour jail riot over TV /26. September 2005

Prisoners banned from viewing boxing

The chief of Lop Buri Central Prison was transferred yesterday pending an inquiry into a 14-hour riot at the jail on Saturday night. Hundreds of angry inmates protested against a lack of water and an order banning them from watching boxing on television. They burned down a furniture workshop and one of three cell blocks. All of the prisoners returned to their cells by about 9am yesterday after Corrections Department chief Nathee Chitsawang agreed to improve the availability of water, restore kickboxing viewing privileges and to transfer the prison warden. The protest began on Saturday afternoon and turned violent after nightfall. Two prisoners were injured by broken glass.

Lop Buri Central Prison warden Udom Rattanapokin has been temporarily replaced by his predecessor Preeda Nilsiri to allow for the inquiry. Mr Nathee said he had yet to decide whether punitive and legal action would be taken against any of the prisoners. His priority was to get the prison back to normal and to make sure corrections officials learn to be more sensitive to prisoners' feelings and not let problems expand into violence. Mr Udom confirmed that he had ordered the watching of muay thai banned two months ago. He said it had encouraged gambling, which was controlled by mafia elements within the prison. Relatives of some of the inmates had complained that prisoners had fallen deeply into debt because of betting on the bouts, he said.

Mr Udom accused prison bookmakers of engineering the riot because the TV ban had hurt their business. He said prisoner complaints about a lack of water was just a pretext. He denied that he had cut the water supply to inmates. The water shortage was caused by a broken water main and some of the prisoners were involved in the repair work which was underway before the protest started. ``I stopped them from watching the boxing to stop them from betting on the fights. ``I banned all forms of gambling. There should be no sinful activities in the prison,'' Mr Udom said. He said the prisoners' water supply was cut only once, on Saturday, when there was a problem with the taps. Repairs were quickly carried out, he added.

Lop Buri Central Prison houses 1,794 prisoners, of which more than 70% have been convicted of drug offences.

[  bangkokpost.com

RIOT CONTINUES IN LOPBURI PRISON

25. september 2005

The riot in LOPBURI Prison still carries on, as more than 300 inmates are destroying prison properties, and negotiations have failed to resolve the situation. Moreover, the restless inmates are now armed with weapons. The inmates in LOPBURI Prison are destroying furniture, smashing boilers, and setting fire to the prison compound. Even with the intervention of the Director-General of the Corrections Bureau, who has requested the prisoners to take the state property and the nation's well-being into consideration, the rioters still refuse to back down. Latest reports indicate that prisoners are still destroying properties and have armed themselves with sticks, scrap metals, and steel shingles. Prisoners have also begun burning fences and tossing Molotov cocktails at officers holding the perimeter, with more inmates adding to the rioter's numbers. Five inmates have received injuries from the unrest, one critically, and have been transported to the LOPBURI Hospital for treatment.

[  thaisnews.com

Jail boosts security after protest

Police and prison authorities beefed up security at Lop Buri Central Prison last night as a precaution against possible riots by prisoners. Police said hundreds of prisoners had gathered at the prison compound since late afternoon, threatening to put bedding materials on fire. However, rain prevented them doing so. They agreed to disband and went to their sleeping quarters but still made noises late at night. Lop Buri police said the prisoners were upset with water quality in the prison.

[  bangkokpost.com

25. September 2005

CANADA

mehre artikel zum hungerstreik von mohammad mahjoub der nach 79 tagen seinen hungerstreik beendet hat.

Suspect ends 79-day hunger strike

Mohammad Mahjoub ended Saturday his 79-day hunger strike in a Toronto jail. The 44-year-old claims he had been denied proper medical attention and visits from his family. The Egyptian refugee was using the prolonged strike to protest conditions at the Metro West Detention Centre.

The Ontario government issued a statement late Friday promising medical specialists would be sent to assess Mahjoub's health problems, including a knee injury and hepatitis C, which he contracted in jail. "I had to (drink) it very slowly," Mahjoub told the Toronto Star on Saturday. "I don't really remember what food tastes like. The provincial government has now agreed to meet his demands for medical treatment. Mahjoub's wife, Mona Elfouli, said she was happy to hear that the government had agreed to the medical attention but was upset it took so long.

"It does not have to take 80 days of hunger strike until the person's body will be damaged completely for them to accept the very basic human rights that my husband is asking for," Elfouli said. Mahjoub launched his hunger strike to protest living conditions at the detention center, where he has been held for five years and kept in solitary confinement for the past two. He has alleged he has been beaten and humiliated by prison guards. Earlier in the week, Matthew Behrens, an advocate for Mahjoub, said he had only been drinking water, orange juice and occasional sips of broth and was suffering from high blood pressure and hepatitis C, which he contracted in jail.

Mahjoub is one of five people being held by the Canadian Security Intelligence Service on security certificates based on secret evidence. Under federal law, the government can hold suspects indefinitely if they convince a judge the suspect is a threat. He is accused by security officials of belonging to the Vanguards of Conquests, a militant group with ties to al-Jihad. But he denies any links. Mahjoub has admitted meeting Osama bin Laden in Sudan in the 1990s when he worked in an agricultural plant owned by bin Laden.

Canadian authorities tried to deport Mahjoub a year ago, but a federal judge stayed the deportation order against Mahjoub, saying she was convinced he might be tortured if forced to return to Egypt, where he was convicted of having terrorism links.

[  cbc.ca

MOHAMMAD MAHJOUB CLOSE TO DEATH - AUTHORITIES REFUSE HOSPITALIZATION

22. september 2005
no one is illegal canada

On Day 77 of his hunger strike, Mohammad Mahjoub is very weak and in constant pain. After 5 years of detention on secret evidence and without being charged, he does not wish to end his hunger strike, saying that it is the only way left for him to fight for his dignity and that of his family.

Mahjoub had asked to be hospitalized and yesterday September 20, he was taken to the hospital in Toronto after pressure on government authorities from friends, family and supporters across Canada. Mahjoub and his family hoped that while he was hospitalized, health care authorities would be able to properly investigate the conditions which have led to his hunger strike, including his Hepatitis C, and his knee injury. Instead Mohammad had a few tests and was taken back to the prison. He was told he did not need to be hospitalized for another two weeks. This is contrary to independent physician Dr. Pritchard?s report which states he needs to be hooked up to a heart monitor machine because there is a high risk of cardiac arrhythmia and there are signs he may already have kidney damage, which will worsen if the hunger strike continues.

Mahjoub, a secret trial detainee held over five years without charge or bail on secret evidence, is demanding from his solitary confinement cell immediate hospitalization to monitor his vital signs during this critical, dangerous phase of his hunger strike; a liver biopsy to check the progression of Hepatitis C contracted in the detention centre, and related medical treatment; and touch visits with his two young children, aged 6 and 8. Mohammed Mahjoub is one of the five ?Secret Trial Five? whose lives have been torn apart by accusations that they are not allowed to fight in a fair and independent trial. All five men were arrested under "Security Certificates," a measure of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA) that has been described by Amnesty International as "fundamentally flawed and unfair". Security certificates and secret evidence reverse the fundamental rule of innocent until proven guilty. Neither the detainee nor his lawyer are informed of the precise allegations or provided with the full information against him. They are imprisoned indefinitely without charges on secret evidence and face deportation to their countries of origin, even if there is a substantial risk of torture or death.

During a delegation in Toronto, Mona Elfouli (Mohammed?s partner) was told by government officials that in the end, it was in Mr. Mahjoub's hands. Elfouli directly told them that no, it was in the hands of the government, and that she would hold them responsible should Mohammed die. Ontario Premier McGuinty, only sent out a junior staffer with no authority who promised nothing, not even a commitment to a process to deal with the issues raised by the hunger strike. Similar actions have taken place in Montreal, Ottawa and other cities.

20. september 2005

Wife of jailed Egyptian terror suspect fears for his life, protests at Queen's Park Man on hunger strike in critical condition, diagnosis by independent physician shows Mona Elfouli is terrified her husband Mohammad Mahjoub will die in jail. And if he dies, she vows to hold the government of Canada responsible.

Mr. Mahjoub, a terrorism suspect held on a security certificate, is on the 76th day of a hunger strike to protest against the conditions of his incarceration in the Metro West Detention Centre in Toronto. "The prison is taking an unnecessarily punitive approach," Ms. Elfouli said. "They are refusing his medical treatment for security reasons. They're killing him slowly." She and 40 supporters held a protest at the Ontario Legislature yesterday and tried unsuccessfully to meet with Premier Dalton McGuinty.

Ms. Elfouli said her husband is refusing all food (except water and orange juice) to fight for the right to have eyeglasses, be treated for a knee injury and for hepatitis C, which he contracted in jail, and to see his children without a Plexiglas barrier separating them. At 140 pounds with high blood pressure, he is too weak to stand and his wife worries he could fall into a coma in the middle of the night and die. The 45-year-old Egyptian native could save his own life by ending his hungerstrike; however, Ms. Elfouli said that would not resolve the question of why prison officials have so far not dealt with his health issues, or allowed him to have a liver biopsy, as recommended by a doctor in 2004, to determine a course of treatment for hepatitis C.

On Sunday, Jane Pritchard, an independent physician, examined Mr. Mahjoub, found his condition to be critical and recommended he be transferred to hospital within the next two or three days so that his heart could be monitored, according to Mr. Mahjoub's lawyer, Barbara Jackman. Dr. Pritchard also found his health was not being monitored frequently enough at the jail, where he is being held in solitary confinement for his own protection, she said.

"Within the space of 10 minutes he could have a heart collapse," Ms. Jackman said. "He is at imminent risk of death or severe, permanent impairment. He is too weak to stand, has shooting pains in the abdomen, pain in his kidneys, shortness of breath, chest pains, and his eyesight is failing." Mr. Mahjoub, who has been imprisoned for five years, has asked to be hospitalized and will accept an IV. Prison officials referred all calls yesterday to Julia Noonan, a spokeswoman for the Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services. According to Ms. Noonan, health officials do monitor hunger-striking inmates on a daily basis.

"We have no medical direction to transfer any inmate to the hospital now," she said. "He is seen every day by health care and if a doctor directed us to transfer an inmate to hospital, then that is what we would do." Mr. Mahjoub is one of five Muslim non-citizens being held on a security certificate, a controversial legal process that allows Canada to detain and deport terrorism suspects considered a threat to national security based on detailed intelligence that remains secret. All five are fighting deportation, arguing they will be tortured or killed if sent to their homelands, and the Supreme Court will ultimately decide the constitutionality of these cases.

In Sudan, Mr. Mahjoub worked on a farm owned by Osama bin Laden. He is alleged to be a member of al-Jihad, a terrorist organization in Egypt, where he was tried in absentia. Ms. Jackman said her client denies any involvement in terrorism. He fears he will be tortured if sent home, and a federal Court judge has agreed that he "could suffer ill treatment and human rights abuses" if deported. Ms. Jackman argues her client -- as an immigration detainee -- should be held in an immigration facility, or federal facility, which provides more freedom, allows for prison programs and regular family visits. Provincial facilities are designed to accommodate prisoners for short-term stays.

Mr. Mahjoub has also applied for bail. Adil Charkaoui, a Montreal resident being held on a security certificate, was released on bail earlier this year. The three men in the other security certificate cases remain in prison, including Hassan Almrei, who recently ended a hunger strike to win the right to be allowed out of his cell to exercise for an hour a day.

NO ONE IS ILLEGAL - Toronto

[  yahoo.com

23. September 2005

USA

eine rassistische auseinandersetzung zwischen gefangenen im california institution for men endete in einem dreistündigen riot an dem etwa 200 gefangene beteiligt waren.

2 Inmates Hurt in California Prison Riot

A racial clash between inmates at a California prison erupted into a three-hour riot involving 200 inmates, critically injuring two, an official said Friday. Black, white and Hispanic inmates squared off Thursday night in a reception center for prisoners who recently transferred to the California Institution for Men, said state Department of Corrections spokesman Todd Slosek. "We believe preliminarily that the altercation stems over a dispute over respect," said Slosek, adding the cause remained under investigation. Guards used foam bullets, pepper spray and tear gas to quell the disturbance that spilled into the housing units. Eight prisoners were taken to a hospital for treatment and two were in critical condition, Slosek said. He did not have details on their injuries. One guard suffered a minor injury a strained back. The medium security prison houses about 6,500 inmates.

[  abcnews.go.com

PRISON riot erupts at CIM

A riot involving about 200 black and Latino prisoners erupted at the California Institution for Men on Thursday evening. State corrections officers responded to a prison reception center to quash the melee around 7 p.m., said Lt. Tim Shirlock, prison spokesman. "We did have a incident at the reception Center East at California Institution for Men involving a little over 200 inmates," Shirlock said.

9:20 p.m. the incident was under control but the "situation is still fluid," said spokesman Todd Slosek, press secretary for the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation in Sacramento. The riot started in the Butte section of the East Block Reception Center, a section where inmates are housed during a 90-day processing as they are evaluated for physical and behavioral problems. It is also the place where prison officials assess their various gang affiliations.

No staff injuries have been reported, and officials are still trying to confirm how many inmates were injured. It's not known if the inmates used weapons. The guards quelled the riot with nonlethal force, including pepper spray, a form of tear gas and nonlethal foam bullets. TV images showed inmates and guards scattered throughout the yard. A number of the inmates were shown wearing just their underwear and slippers and being escorted from the prison yard guards. CIM's Reception Center Central has been on lockdown for the past several weeks after two race-related fights involving large groups of inmates, Shirlock said in an earlier interview. The prison's internal security squad is investigating those incidents.

On Jan. 10, CIM corrections officer Manuel Gonzalez was fatally stabbed. His accused killer Jon Christopher Blaylock had been staying in one of the prison's reception centers.

[  dailybulletin.com

22. September 2005

USA

innerhalb von 24 stunden soll es 4 riots durch gangs im kalifornischen wasco state knast gegeben haben.

Gang riots in Wasco State Prison

BAKERSFIELD - A series of gang related riots at Wasco State Prison have detention officers on alert.Two gangs are emerging as the instigators. It's often difficult to find out exactly what causes a riot, but a spokesperson for the prison said it is often due to an issue of respect.He said sometimes, it can be as minor, as a battle over the television remote.There have been four riots, in two facilities over the last 24 hours.

All of them involved a gang called the Southern Hispanics and all but one involving another gang called the Fresno Bull Dogs.Public Information Officer for Wasco State Prison Lt. Brian Parriott said, “In our higher level facilities, basically Fresno Bull Dogs cannot be around Southern Hispanics.”“But that has not been the experience we've had in the past with lower level inmates,” he added.All four of the riots were with lower risk inmates.

One of them took place while inmates were in the yard for exercise and three others inside a dorm facility.Parriott, says there were no major injuries to the inmates and no injuries to the staff.But he did say inmate fighting can often get dirty.Both facilities are now on a modified program, which means restricted movement, and more staff.All inmates involved are also being interviewed.The most common cause is a respect issue such as this individual disrespected me and as a result of that we had problems.Or even something as simple as someone changes the television channel.Parriott said the last riot he can think of, was more than four months ago, but it wasn’t not as big as this weeks..

[  kget.com

22. September 2005

MAROCCO / WESTERN SAHARA

von den 35 menschen die seit dem 8. august in den marokkanischen knästen im hungerstreik sind, wurden 12 ins krankenhaus verlegt. Die meisten der hungerstreikenden wurden bei den riots im mai in der stadt laayoune / westsahara festgenommen.

Fears over W Sahara hunger strike

The United Nations has said it is looking into the plight of 35 prisoners from Western Sahara who began a hunger strike in Moroccan jails on 8 August. The Moroccan Human Rights Association said last week their health was deteriorating and 12 had lost consciousness and been hospitalised. Most of the prisoners were arrested in the anti-Moroccan riots in May in the main Western Sahara town of Laayoune.

Morocco annexed Western Sahara - a former Spanish colony - in 1975. Moroccan claims of sovereignty are contested by an armed independence movement, the Polisario Front. The head of the Moroccan Human Rights Association, Abdel Elah Bin Abdelsalam, told the BBC that the group had written a letter to Moroccan Prime Minister Sayyid Idris Jettou asking for his urgent intervention to save the prisoner's lives. Chief UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said the Geneva-based UN High Commissioner of Human Rights was examining the matter. International opinion over Western Sahara is divided. The United Nations views it as a disputed territory; the African Union recognises its independence. The UN-backed peace plan includes a referendum on self-determination for the Saharawi people, but Morocco has refused to accept any loss of control over the area.

[  bbc.co.uk

22. September 2005

NIGERIA

bei einem riot im ikoyi knast in lagos wurden lt. Offiziellen angaben 3 gefangene getötet, nicht ein dutzend wie in presseberichten gemeldet wurden.

Ikoyi Prison revolt claims three inmates —Comptroller-General

Authorities of the Nigerian Prisons Service have said only three inmates died in the riot that broke out at the Ikoyi Prison in Lagos on Tuesday.The Acting Comptroller-General of the service, Okpara Uche Kalu, said this while speaking with newsmen at the Lagos State Command of the service, Alagbon Close, Ikoyi on Wednesday. The figure was, however, contrary to reports which claimed that over a dozen inmates were killed in the revolt. According to Kalu, two of the three inmates wanted to escape but fell down and died while the third victim was roasted after he fell from the ceiling of the prison, as he attempted to avoid being trapped in the inferno that gutted the prison.

He said the service decided to embark on a routine search at the prison on Tuesday as well as to decongest the overcrowded prison. He noted that the prison was design to accommodate 800 inmates but housed 2, 033 inmates.He added that the resistance of the prisoners to attempt by the authorities to move about 400 inmates to both the Kirikiri maximum and minimum prisons, Apapa led to the stampede that claimed the lives of the three people.Some inmates were said to have broken into the carpentry workshop of the prison, where they picked chisels, harmers, knives, swords, etc, which they used to engage prison officials in a free-for-all fight until they were over-powered by the armed squad of the service.Kalu admitted that the office of the chief warder, parts of the administrative block, clinic, welfare, carpentry and tailoring factories and some documents were destroyed during the incident.

His words: “In other parts of the world, escape of inmates does happen, death does occur and ours can't be an exception. At the Ikoyi Prison prior to the incident, there were 2, 033 inmates and 66 prisoners had been convicted. So, it is not our problem because prisons all over the country have been neglected for long. We, therefore, enjoin well-meaning Nigerians and non-governmental organisations to assist us to enable us cater for inmates in our nation's prisons because the equipment we use to train them on vocations have become obsolete.”

[  independentng.com

Inmates riot in Nigerian jail

20. september 2005

Lagos - Gunfire rang out on Tuesday as Nigerian prison warders tried to quell a riot by inmates who set fire to part of an overcrowded jail in central Lagos. Journalists at the scene heard at least 21 shots fired inside Ikoyi Prison as police reinforcements and fire-fighters struggled to regain control of the situation. A spokesperson for the prisons service insisted that no-one had been hurt, but then ordered reporters to leave the area when an ambulance arrived at the prison gate. "There's been an incident," said prisons spokesperson Fatimikun Ope. "There was a protest by some of the inmates which we're trying to quell, but there are no casualties." A warder, who asked not to be named, told AFP that prisoners had rioted when staff attempted to move some of them to other jails to ease overcrowding. The governor's office and a records room have been burnt out, witnesses said.

[  news24.com

21. September 2005

USA

5 stündiger, friedlicher protest von etwa 100 immigrantinnen im mira loma detention center/ kalifornien.

IMMIGRANT detainees in Lancaster protest hearing delays

More than 100 immigrants at the Mira Loma Detention Center protested delays in their case hearings Wednesday, refusing to return from the exercise yard for about five hours, authorities said. Using white T-shirts, the men in orange jumpsuits, wrote, "Help, no violencia and liberty," on the ground.

"They just wanted to be heard. It was very peaceful," said Lori Haley, spokeswoman for Homeland Security's Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The detainees agreed to return to their compound shortly before 11 a.m., Haley said. ICE attorneys were aware of the backlog in hearings and had been scheduled to go to the facility Wednesday to review cases to see whether they could expedite the removal of some of the detainees, said spokeswoman Virginia Kice.

In the coming days ICE said it would likely move out about 100 detainees who agreed to be deported and waive their rights to go before an immigration judge. But Kice acknowledged that many of the 980 immigrants at the detention center are there because they are fighting deportation.

Mira Loma is one of several facilities contracted by ICE to house illegal immigrants until their cases are decided. About 85 percent of the detainees have been convicted of crimes and must be detained during immigration proceedings under federal law. Greg Gagne, spokesman for the Executive Office for Immigration Review, which oversees immigration courts, said the Lancaster immigration court keeps roughly the same pace as most other courts around the country. But he noted that the three-judge court has a vacancy and has to rely on teleconferences with two judges at a central court in Virginia to handle the overflow.

Immigration judges have come under increasing heat in recent years for backlogs in the system due to an increase in immigrants, a decrease in judges and stricter appeals guidelines that were supposed to streamline the process but have ended up booting many more cases to federal appeals courts. Los Angeles immigration attorney Meredith Brown said she recently faced long delays with a client at the privately run border detention facility at Otay Mesa. Her client, a Salvadoran man who crossed the border illegally and who is seeking political asylum, was detained for more than six months before she could get him a bond hearing, Brown said. "I remember the judges saying 'I'm really sorry, but I really have a full docket.' While there's a lot of funding going to ICE and border protection, they need to put more funding toward providing for judges," she said.

[  sfgate.com

20. September 2005

INDIA

die etwa 200 gefangene im cuttack circle knast haben ihren hungerstreik nach drei tagen abgebrochen.

"Jail inmates call off fast"

Cuttack Circle Jail authorities on Monday claimed that they managed to persuade the striking inmates to break their fast. On the third day of the hunger strike by over 200 inmates on Monday, the prison authorities persuaded the agitators to take food. Meanwhile, the jail officials have sought permission from the court to shift hooch kingpin Surendra Sahu alias Belu to a separate jail. The jail authorities, irked with his trouble creating behaviour, have prayed the court to shift him to Dhenkanal Jail

[  newindpress.com

18. September 2005

INDIA

weil ein gefangener in einen anderen knast verlegt werden soll sind fast alle gefangene des cuttack circle knast im hungerstreik.

Convicts of Cuttack jail continue fast

Almost all the convicts at the Cuttack Circle Jail at Choudwar, 11 kms from here continued to abstain from taking food for the second consecutive day today. They are on hunger strike demanding a roll back in the decision of the jail administration to shift a life convict to the jail at Kalahandi.

Besides, better quality of food, drinking water and civic amenities at the jail are some of their demands. The convicts including Surendra Das alias Belu (the prime accused in the 1992 Cuttack hooch tragedy who is serving life sentence in the Rai Mohan murder case) had reportedly hardened their stand. They have now started demanding the transfer of the jailor and jail superintendent. The additional DG and IG prisons Mr Anup Patnaik and AIG prisons Mr Bhagwan Behera visited the jail today. Meanwhile, a team of doctors from the City Hospital in Cuttack had moved into the block 3 of the jail where the convicts are on hunger strike. The jail superintendent Mr Bankim Mohanty said most of the under trial prisoners had broken their fast following persuasion by the additional DG and IG prisons and other senior officials.

"Most of the inmates have taken food. But 270 of the convicts including Belu are still on fast", the jail superintendent told The Statesman.

[  thestatesman.net

12. September 2005

AUSTRALIA

zwei asylbewerber aus bangladesh die sich seit einiger zeit im villawood knast im hungerstreik befinden wurden ins krankenhaus verlegt.

Detainees in hunger strikes, suicide bid

THREE asylum-seekers were in hospital last night after a suicide attempt by a detainee in South Australia and a hunger strike by two Bangladeshis in NSW. Zimbabwean Peter Jackson Mode, 24, was taken unconscious from the Baxter detention centre late on Saturday night after slashing his wrists with broken glass. He was discovered by a fellow detainee.

Last month Mr Mode's ankle was broken in a struggle with six guards after he intervened on behalf of another detainee who had refused to go to the management isolation unit. Police are making inquiries into the incident. Mr Mode was conscious last night and in a stable condition in hospital in Port Augusta. A spokesman for the Department of Immigration, Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs would not discuss his medical treatment "for privacy reasons". "The department has a duty of care towards detainees it takes seriously," the spokesman said. "If the health or wellbeing of a detainee is threatened by his or her own actions, then the department, through the detention services provider, will ensure the detainee receives necessary treatment and supervision."

The incident follows warnings from refugee advocate groups that the mental health of asylum-seekers in detention continues to decline. Rural Australians for Refugees spokesman John Highfield said the attempted suicide was "further evidence that these detention centres are factories for mental health problems". He said Mr Mode was in a "very depleted mental state", having been released from hospital with a broken ankle only to be locked up in the notorious Red One high security compound. Two Bangladeshi nationals were removed from the Villawood detention centre in western Sydney on Thursday after a prolonged hunger strike and remained in hospital last night. A departmental spokesman said the men were in a stable condition.

"The department does not respond to these sorts of actions," he said. "These men are protesting their detention. Their protest will not change the outcome of their cases. "The cases are decided on their merits. Both men have been in the country for some time and have been repeatedly found to have no legal right to a visa. From information available to the Department of Immigration, neither qualify for a visa on any grounds."

[  theaustralian.news.com.au

10. September 2005

KASMIR / INDIA

hungerstreik im srinagar central knst. Es gibt keine angaben wie viele gefangenen daran teilnehmen.

HUNGER strike in Central Jail

Srinagar: Detainees in Srinagar Central Jail Saturday went on hunger strike to protest their continued detention in the jail without trial. This was revealed by Kashmir Mass Movement (KMM) leader Farida Behanji following her visit to the jail. According to a KMM release, Farida was denied permission when she sought to meet detainees in the jail especially Dukhtaran chief Asiya Andrabi and her seven associates.

Expressing concern over the prolonged detention of Bilal Sidiquee and Zamrooda Habib, Farida said, "The so called peace process holds no ground in the wake of geared up terror machine of India against the oppressed people of J&K."Bilal Sidiquee, the statement said, has been behind the bars for last 14 years. Farida also condemned the denial of permission to meet Andrabi and appealed the womenfolk particularly the intellectual females to voice their concern on what she termed"War against women in Kashmir." Meanwhile, the High Court Bar Association (HCBA) Saturday organised an emergency meeting with HCBA chairman Mian Abdul Qayoom in chair. The Bar expressed serious concern over entry of police personnel of Ranawari police station into Central Jail on Friday. In the jail, the HCBA said, police pounced on inmates and beat them up ruthlessly. The HCBA said that some detainees were stated to be in critical condition. The Bar has taken strong note of the police action and has decided to lodge protest against it.

[  greaterkashmir.com

9. September 2005

UK

wie erst durch einen brief eines gefangenen bekannt wurde kam es am 28. august im strangeway knast zu einem riot.

Riot squad drama at Strangeways

A RIOT squad of crack prison officers was sent in to Strangeways to stop a protest by some of its most dangerous inmates.

A team of about 80 jailers with dogs were rushed to the building to deal with the demonstration. Strangeways bosses feared for the safety of six prison officers who were with the inmates. Police were drafted in to form a cordon around the prison walls. More than 20 inmates who were involved were later transferred to other prisons. It is understood they are all category A inmates - those regarded as the most serious security risk. Details of the drama only emerged after an inmate wrote to a relative and revealed how the trouble flared. Prison authorities and the police did not release any information about the protest 12 days ago until approached by a reporter.

In the letter, the inmate wrote: "It has been kicking off in here over the weekend. The Cat A wing had a riot, 27 of them have been shipped out. They are sick of the way they are being treated. They sent the dogs in and a full riot squad with smoke bombs." The demonstration began when more than 30 category A prisoners refused to go back to cells on E wing.

Peacefully

It is understood the prisoners agreed to go back to their cells peacefully. A spokesman for the Prison Service said smoke bombs were not used and no one was injured. She added an investigation into the protest has been launched by the governor Chris Sheffield. She said: "The incident remained calm but national resources were deployed to deal with it." A police spokesman said: "At approximately 2.26pm on Sunday, August 28, police were informed that a peaceful protest was taking place at HMP Manchester. A number of pre-planned procedures were put into place and officers attended the prison but remained outside the perimeter.

"There was no breach of security and the demonstration was resolved peacefully by prison staff." Juliet Lyon, director of the Prison Reform Trust, said: "It is always regrettable when a prison feels that it has to resort to force against people for whom it is responsible, particularly as at Manchester when it appears to have been dealing with a peaceful protest." The prison suffered a devastating 25-day riot in 1990 when inmates clambered on to the prison roof to protest about conditions.

[  manchesteronline.co.uk

AUSTRALIA

5. September 2005

seit 14 tagen sind zwei männer aus bangladesh im villawood knast in sydney im hungerstreik.

Detainee hunger strike enters day 14

TWO Bangladeshi detainees on a hunger strike at Villawood detention centre in Sydney continue to refuse food. Shah Mohammad Sayan Mahmud and Mohammed Masud Hay, both 28, have been refusing food for 14 days in the hope their hunger strike may prompt a review of their visa applications. Both men have been refused protection visas, and it is believed one has been served a deportation notice. The men had been taken to hospital for check-ups and had returned to the centre, where water and food was continually available to them, the Immigration Department said today.

"The department does not respond to these sorts of actions," a department spokeswoman said. "These men are protesting their detention. "Their protest will not change the outcome of their cases. All cases are decided on their merits." Refugee Action Coalition of NSW spokesman Ian Rintoul today said the case of one of the men, who held a tourist visa, had similarities to that of Vivian Alvarez. Ms Alvarez was deported to the Philippines after a car crash, despite being an Australian citizen. "In the case of the guy with the tourist visa, it seems to be another incidence of the department resorting to detention rather than making simple inquiries to rectify the situation," he said. "It the same as the Vivian Alvarez case - their first impulse is detain rather than find some sensible way out of the situation."

Mr Rintoul understood the detainee had breached the restrictions of his visa by working in a Sydney restaurant. "It's an absurd situation where you have got someone in detention for what could be a simple misunderstanding," he said.

Mr Rintoul said he was aware of another case in which a Palestinian man had been invited by the Immigration Department to apply for a return pending visa. He was in the process of doing so when he was deported. "It's the same old problems," he said. "There is no accountability, there's no transparency, "In the final analysis there doesn't seem to be a sympathetic ear to listen to these appeals."

[  heraldsun.news.com.au

3. September 2005

CANADA

ein 31jähriger syrischer mann hat seinen hungerstreik nach 73 tagen beendet.

SUSPECTED terrorist ends Toronto hunger strike

Seventy-three days into a hunger strike that had him fearing for his life, Hassan Almrei ended his protest Saturday because of the hope he says he's been given by Canadians. The 31-year-old Syrian national, one of five people being held on a national security certificate as a threat to Canada, had been subsisting on three glasses of orange juice a day and some water in an attempt to gain the same rights as a federal inmate.

He was protesting to get one hour of outdoor exercise a day instead of the 20 minutes he has been given since being put in solitary confinement in October 2001. He previously went 50 days without solid food to get the right to wear shoes in his cell in the winter. "I am sad that the Ontario government will not give me my basic human rights," Mr. Almrei said in a written statement read to the hundreds of protesters gathered outside the Metro West Detention Centre in Toronto.

Organizers were able to reach him on the telephone. , but he said he was too weak to speak to the crowd personally."The hunger strike is my only voice in here ... You, the Canadian people, have helped make my voice very loud and clear ... Because of the hope you have given me today, I will end my hunger strike, but not my struggle for my rights," his statement said.Mr. Almrei's words triggered cheers and applause, and the crowd broke into a chant of "Stop secret trial. Free the five now."Participants, some of whom travelled from as far as Sudbury, Ont., carried signs that read Stop Racism and Stop Jailing Refugees.Others stood behind black cardboard cut-outs of jail bars, with the names of the detainees printed across the bottom. Alexandre Trudeau, son of the late prime minister Pierre Trudeau, was among those in attendance.

"We're here because of the hunger strike, and this is sort of a fine point of this issue," said the filmmaker, who has been an outspoken advocate for Mr. Almrei and Moroccan detainee Adil Charkaoui, whom Canadian authorities have accused of being an al-Qaeda sleeper agent. "This campaign has to go on, we have to be aware of this and really come to understand whether this is something we want in this country or not " which I personally do not." Mr. Almrei is fighting Canada's attempts to deport him to Syria, where he says he will be tortured. He has admitted to lying about his past to get into Canada and training in Afghanistan, but denies any ties to al-Qaeda or Osama bin Laden.

Organizers asked supporters to continue calling Prime Minister Paul Martin, Deputy Prime Minister Anne McLelland, Immigration Minister Joe Volpe and Ontario Correctional Services Minister Monte Kwinter to speak out against what they called the inhumane treatment of secret trial detainees. Ahmad Jaballah, the eldest son of detainee Mahmoud Jaballah, said he saw CSIS agents threaten to throw his father in jail if he didn't spy on other Muslims back in 1998. "We came to this country because of the lack of human right at home," the 18-year-old said. "This is not what we expected."

Mr. Jaballah, who has been held since August 2001, will begin a federal hearing Wednesday in Toronto in an attempt to be released on bail while the legal process continues. Mr. Jaballah, who has not been allowed to have any physical contact with his children in the four years he has been held, thanked the crowd for their support through a cell phone connection. Mr. Almrei is due back in court on Oct. 11. The Supreme Court of Canada has also agreed to hear Mr. Charkaoui's appeal.

[  theglobeandmail.com

2. September 2005

UGANDA

bereits in der fünften woche ist der hungerstreik von frauen aus uganda im yarl's wood removal centre. Zwei frauen wurden ins krankenhaus in bedford verlegt.

Two hospitalised in fifth week of Ugandan women’s hunger strike at Yarl’s Wood Removal Centre

Two women have been taken to Bedford Hospital as fears grow for the health of the Ugandan hunger strikers in the fifth week of their protest.

Four women hunger strikers remain in Yarl’s Wood protesting against their deportation and the conditions in detention. One very ill and weak woman was taken on a 12-hour journey to Dungavel Detention Centre in Scotland, where she remains on hunger strike. Other women, including spokeswoman Harriet Anyangokolo, have been released having at last secured legal representation and the opportunity to get their case reconsidered as a result of their protest. But at least two women have been deported, one of whom was stopped by corrupt immigration officials in Uganda demanding she give them all her money or they would hand her over to the police. She is now in hiding. There has been no contact with the other woman. The Home Office refuses to take any responsibility for monitoring the safety of those it returns.

Ms Anyangokolo comments: “There are 250 of us, cooped up in terrible conditions. Some of us have children with us, some have left them behind, and others are mothers as a result of rape. We are innocent women and children whose rights are being violated. Many of us are ill as a result of torture, some are HIV+ and some are so depressed they have tried to commit suicide. After all we have suffered the British government still wants to deport us back to war zones and the dictators we opposed, denying us protection and safety. They dump us in detention centres where we suffer again from poor medical attention, bad food, harassment and sexual intimidation by male staff, false accusations and racism causing us more trauma. We have been denied the opportunity to make our claims properly through cuts in legal aid, negligent or even corrupt lawyers, and racism and sexism in decisions refusing our claims. Some of us have been forced onto planes with the most appalling brutality and regardless of the justice of our claim. Women are continuing to fight for our rights and against deportation – we deserve safe accommodation not imprisonment, because we are not criminals, we are simply asylum seekers who deserve protection under international law. It would be better to die in a British rather than a Ugandan detention centre.”

The government is determined to deport those it labels “failed asylum seekers” no matter how unjustly. There is widespread recognition that the legal representation available to asylum seekers is deficient and in some cases corrupt. The cases below illustrate how these deficiencies are life threatening for women asylum seekers who are routinely imprisoned - against UNHCR and the government’s own guidelines - and threatened with deportation. As a result of their public protest, most of the women have now secured legal representation. The threat of removal should be lifted and all the women should be released immediately whilst their cases are reconsidered.

The Hunger Striker's Stories

Ms Gloria Chalimpa (HO Ref: C1117339/3 Port Ref: SEV/02/5277) has been in detention since 24 June 2005 and is due to be deported on 22 September. She suffered years of repeated rape from the age of six, when the Lords Resistance Army (LRA) killed her parents and abducted her. She was trained as a child soldier how to fight and use guns. She was sold to a “sponsor”, who also raped her and later arranged for her to study in the UK. On a visit back to Uganda she was arrested and imprisoned for kissing another woman in a nightclub. She managed to escape and returned to the UK. But when she claimed asylum she was put on the “fast-track” procedure and detained in Yarl’s Wood. The fast-track system, which is claimed to be only used for “straight forward” cases, drastically reduces the time to prepare an asylum claim, denying women like Ms Chalimpa’s access to independent legal representation and other expert support upon which their lives depend. Ms Chalimpa’s case was refused and she had to appeal without legal representation. Her lawyer said that there was insufficient likelihood of her winning her case to justify applying for legal aid. Her appeal was refused and she is now too ill to ask for reconsideration of her case, which is her right, and as a result her case was closed. Ms Chalimpa has a one year old daughter born in the UK whom she has not seen since being detained, compounding her depression and she has attempted suicide several times, including on Monday of this week when she was found trying to hang herself in the laundry room in Yarl’s Wood. She has no memory of what happened and is now on constant suicide watch. We are urgently trying to find her legal representation.

Ms Madina Irimeri (HO Ref: G 1121198/2 Port ref: AFC/561670) has been detained for three months in the UK and is due to be deported on 20 September. She was detained in military barracks in Uganda where she suffered rape and other torture. The Home Office refused to believe her account when she claimed asylum. Ms Irimeri’s lawyer failed to keep her informed of what was being done on her case, and she never saw what was submitted to the authorities. No expert report was commissioned by her lawyer for her appeal hearing to document Ms Irimeri’s account of her experiences and investigate their impact on her. An affidavit she had got from Uganda confirming her account was dismissed by the adjudicator because it was a fax. She has obtained an original of this document but it is not clear whether her lawyers have even submitted this. She now has a new lawyer who is pursuing her claim.

Ms Charity Mutebwa (HO Ref: M1210512 Port Ref: CEU570884) has been detained for three months and is on the 32nd day of her hunger strike. She was taken to Uganda after her Rwandan parents were slaughtered in the genocide of 1994. As supporters of an opposition party her husband and brother were killed and she was detained, where she was repeatedly gang raped by government soldiers. She escaped and fled to the UK but her her account of her experiences was dismissed by the Home Office and the courts. Her case was badly handled by her legal representatives – she later discovered the person representing her was a translator not a solicitor. The firm then claimed to have no knowledge of her case and that they did not have her documents, so she could not get another solicitor to pursue her claim. Her deportation should have been stopped when a new solicitor issued legal proceedings the day before she was due to go. But she was still taken to Heathrow airport. It was only when she insisted on calling her lawyer that the Home Office who confirmed she should not be deported. Ms Mutebwa was extremely weak and sick from her hunger strike but instead of returning to Yarl’s Wood, she was taken on a gruelling 12-hour journey to Dungavel Detention Centre in Scotland, locked in a small cell within the prison van. Ms Mutebwa’s new lawyer is pursuing her asylum claim.

Ms Grace Namanda (HO ref: N1075891 Port ref: MEU/03/3636) has been held in Yarl’s Wood for the past three months. She was diagnosed as being HIV+ and fell ill while in the UK. She claimed asylum as the treatment upon which her life depends is not available in Uganda. Although she won her case on human rights grounds, the Home Office appealed the decision claiming the treatment she needed was available and free in Uganda. Ms Namanda’s husband, father and siblings have all died because they did not get the treatment they needed. Her sister is her only remaining adult relative and is raising ten children, of whom five are orphans, but has no income. They have been depending on whatever Ms Namanda managed to send from her meager NASS support which has been stopped, so she is now extremely worried about them. Recent press coverage has exposed how aid money meant to be funding HIV/AIDs treatment has “disappeared”. Experts have also challenged the authenticity of the government statistics on the availability and effectiveness of its treatment programmes, which the UK authorities have been citing. Having very recently secured legal representation, Ms Namanda has started taking a little fruit and vegetables as she was becoming too ill to pursue her case.

Ms Sophie Odogo (HO Ref: O1086410/2) was detained on 17 May 2005 and has been in Bedford Hospital since Sunday, where we have not been able to speak with her because she is too weak. She fled to the UK after a relative helped her escape detention in Uganda, where she suffered repeated rape and other torture. She was detained the day after her asylum interview. The Home Office said they did not believe her account, citing her lack of knowledge about her husband’s political activities. No expert evidence investigating and assessing the traumatic impact of her experiences was commissioned by her lawyer. Her account of rape was dismissed by the adjudicator at her appeal and her application for Judicial Review was refused. She has a new lawyer who is pursuing her case.

Ms Enid Ruhango (HO ref: R1095499 Port ref: LBE/393901) was detained on 17 May and has also been in Bedford Hospital after she collapsed in Yarl’s Wood on Sunday. She was raped by Ugandan soldiers looking for her husband who was in the LRA, and again when she was taken into detention. She was raped again by the man who brought her to the UK. She is HIV positive. Again no expert evidence was commissioned by her lawyer to document her experiences and needs. The Home Office and the adjudicator at her appeal dismissed her account claiming the availability of free HIV/AIDs treatment in Uganda. She too has found a new lawyer through the help of Alistair Birt MP, who has been intervening in the women’s cases.

Ms Salima Sekindi (HO ref: S1060767 Port ref: EDD/00/9612) is on the 32nd day of hunger strike. She was detained on 30 May 2005 and is due to be deported on 13/14 September. Ms Sekindi fled from Uganda after being raped by members of the security forces who came to her home looking for her husband, who was involved in the opposition. After she made her initial asylum application she never heard again from her lawyer despite her numerous phone calls and faxes. It was only when she was picked up and taken into detention that she found out that the Home Office had refused her case. She found out that her appeal hearing had gone ahead without her knowledge and without her lawyer present. She has now found a new lawyer to pursue her case.

Since Legal Action for Women issued an asylum rights Self-Help Guide* in June, Black Women’s Rape Action Project and Women Against Rape have been inundated with calls from women in detention. Vulnerable and traumatized women are being forced onto planes with the most appalling brutality and regardless of the validity of their claim.

* For Asylum Seekers and their Supporters – A Self-Help Guide Against Detention and Deportation is available from LAW

For more information contact: Legal Action for Women
Crossroads Women’s Centre, PO Box 287 London NW6 5QU

Tel: 020 7482 2496 minicom/voice
Fax: 020 7209 4761;
Mob: 079291 38554
E-mail: law@crossroadswomen.net

[  blink.org.uk

1. September 2005

USA

in einem brief aus dem snake river knast / oregon vom 31. august 2005 steht das sich mehrere gangs zusammengeschlossen haben um gegen die brutaltät in den knästen zu kämpfen und das sich gefangene zur zeit im hungerstreik befinden.

Peaceful Protest/Hunger Strike at SRCI

In the spirit of resistance and in continuation of the seventy man prison uprising at EOCI last month, the news of prison gang unity has spread like wildfire! We are currently locked down in the hole, because of the Oregon Department of Corruptions excessive unjust abuses and brutality. After the EOCI rebellion, the warden and administrators performed an emergency transfer of the most likely leaders of the rebellion. Well that's how I got here at SRCI! and as our struggles continue, so do our battles.

For the record, Snake River Correctional Facility is notorious for murdering prisoners who resist their abusers & oppressors. So instead of going at them armed and violently (as @ EOCI) we are UNITED once again. All major prison gangs and races!! In a peaceful 1000 man plus phone strike/hunger strike on general population and of course us soldiers in captivity in the Disciplinary Segregation Unit (the hole).

Unfortunately we are unable to communicate with our comrades in the Oregon SHU (IMU- control units), but we feel their struggles!! We all've heard rumors that they are igniting sparks of resistance as well. Never before have so many prison gangs come together for a United Front to defend our rights against the DOC's unfair control and oppression. Those supporting our United Front to defend our humyn rights and freedoms here in the Disciplinary Segregation Unit with me are The Southsiders, European Kindred, The West Siders, BROOD, New Afrikans, CRIPS, BLOODS, Kumi Nation, Aztec [list continues, but letter is cut off]

Enclosed is the SRCI prison newsletter that has sparked our flames of resistance. It seems the Department of Corrections feels they have a right to decide and control who we call and how many times, how often and only a selected amount of people! In a secret plot, it seems, to gather as much information about our loved ones and family members and friends. This is a violation of our families and friends rights. We will not stand idly by and watch the department of corruptions pry into our families lives through their documentation of addresses and phone information.

In our peaceful protest hunger strike we are staggering their system!! Many prisoners are getting out of the hole early due to over-crowding (holding prisoners for nothing) and because of this prisoners are not being subjected to nonsense disciplinary sanctions. Because the holes are too full, they can't take no one to the hole-- us prisoners are STARVING! To stand in unity despite of political views in this unity we want change! We need as much support from you people on the outside!! WE must be heard. We are starving!! Enclosed is a list of participants and comrades from the United Struggle Within. Much love to the ARM Mister Toltecatl. All listed have refused their food, going on over 7 days [this letter was mailed August 31, 2005]. When will the corruption cease? Will these pigs continue to laugh in our faces and watch us starve to death? We will end our hunger strike when the DOC changes their corrupt agendas.

[  etext.org

30. August 2005

USA

nach einem riot in einem knast in new orleans bei dem es auch zu einem ausbruchsversuch gekommen sein soll, haben gefangene einen wärter, seine frau und deren vier kinder als geisel genommen.

OFFICIAL: Prisoners Riot, Take Hostages In New Orleans

Inmates at a prison in hurricane-ravaged New Orleans have rioted, attempted to escape and are now holding hostages, a prison commissioner told ABC News affiliate WBRZ in Baton Rouge, La.Orleans Parish Prison Commissioner Oliver Thomas reported the incident to WBRZ.

A deputy at Orleans Parish Prison, his wife and their four children have been taken hostage by rioting prisoners after riding out Hurricane Katrina inside the jail building, according to WBRZ.Officials are expected to hold a press conference regarding the riots at 9 p.m. ET.A woman interviewed by WBRZ said her son, a deputy at the prison whose family is among the hostages, told her that many of the prisoners have fashioned homemade weapons. Her son had brought his family there hoping they would be safe during the storm.

[  abclocal.go.com

29. August 2005

YEMEN

bei einem riot in einem knast in jemen wurden 4 wärter verletzt.

POLITICAL security prisoners attempt to break doors

Al-Nida Weekly mentioned last Wednesday that quarrels and conflicts took place inside the political security detention centre when prisoners attempted to break doors and windows of the building. According the newspaper, four guards were injured in the incident.

Sources stated that it is mere folly for prisoners to escape from the prison which is constructed according to modern standards and consists of underground cells surrounded by rigid iron doors. The newspaper did not give a mention of the penal procedures taken against prisoners, however, other reliable sources said prisoners were not allowed to meet visitors last Wednesday and Thursday. Hundreds of people are detained at the political security organization, 800 of whom over Sa?ad events and tens are jailed for their alleged links to al-Qaida Network.

[  yementimes.com

29. August 2005

BRAZIL

bei einem riot in einem knast im staat minas gerais wurden zwei gefangene und zwei polizisten getötet.

FOUR people die in Brazilian jail riot

A riot at a prison in the southeastern Brazilian state of Minas Gerais killed two policemen and two inmates, police said Sunday.The riot started Saturday evening when a group of gunmen attacked the Governador Valadares Jail to help some inmates escape.The authorities tried to prevent the escape, but about 400 inmates in the prison took advantage of the chaos by staging a riot. A shootout ensued, leading to the death of two individuals on each side.Police and jail authorities regained control of the prison on Sunday, but only after the rioting inmates burnt mattresses and destroyed parts of the jail roof to attack guards with the tiles.

[  news.xinhuanet.com

28. August 2005

USA

bei einem riot in einem knast bei mineral wells / texas wurden mind. 12 menschen verletzt.

SOME injured in prison riot

MINERAL WELLS, Texas At least a dozen people were injured when inmates rioted at a privately-run prison near Mineral Wells. That's what law enforcement officials said.Parker County Sheriff Larry Fowler says that workers at the two-thousand-bed facility run by Corrections Corporation of America used tear gas to quell the uprising early this morning.Fowler told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram that his department was called last night about the riot. A Parker County special operations team and four sheriff's units stood by outside as prison personnel dealt with the situation.Texas Department of Criminal Justice spokesman Mike Viesca told Dallas-Fort Worth television station W-F-A-A that at least 12 people received non-life threatening injuries.

[  kltv.com

20. August 2005

USA

zwei artikel zu einem riot im calipatria knast/ california. bei dem riot , der in einem hof des hochsicherheitsteils des knastes begann, wurde ein gefangener getötet ,25 gefangene und 25 wärter verletzt. ein gefangener wurde durch eine schusswunde am kopf schwer verletzt. Auslöser des riots soll der angriff auf einen wärter gewesen sein, der einen gefangenen nach waffen durchsuchen wollte.

Calif. Prison Locked Down in Wake of Riot

Inmates at the state prison in Calipatria remained locked in their cells Friday as authorities investigated a deadly riot that erupted in an exercise yard and spread to two buildings.

One inmate was killed during the uprising Thursday afternoon at the prison east of San Diego, and 25 inmates and 25 guards were injured.Authorities said the fight began when a correctional officer was attacked by a member of the Southern Hispanic prison gang as he tried to search the inmate. About 20 other gang members piled on, slashing the guard five times in the head."In the buildings, the inmates were using broken broom handles and crutches and they were ramming the employees with laundry carts," said Terry Thornton, a spokeswoman for the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Tower guards fired non-lethal weapons while other correctional officers used pepper spray and batons.

Inmate Richard Albert Zamora, 33, was shot in the abdomen by a semiautomatic rifle and killed during the fighting, authorities said. Zamora had been serving an 18-year sentence for vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated and had previous convictions for auto theft, attempted robbery and witness intimidation.On Friday, more than 90 inmates were in segregation units, while other inmates were locked in their cells. Five inmates and 22 guards required hospital treatment.The prison houses more than 4,000 inmates, more than 3,850 of them maximum security.

[  heraldsun.com

Inmate fatally shot, 16 guards injured in Calipatria riot

18. August 2005

One inmate was fatally shot in the abdomen and a second shot in the head and taken by helicopter to a hospital as guards quieted a "major riot" at Calipatria State Prison on Thursday, officials said.Sixteen correctional officers were taken to outside hospitals, including the initial subject of the attack who was slashed in the head as he tried to search an inmate he suspected of concealing a weapon, said Terry Thornton, a spokeswoman for the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.

A second officer was struck in the head from behind in the initial struggle. Lance Corcoran, executive vice president of the California Correctional Peace Officers Association, said that officer was undergoing a CT scan for "significant injuries," but he and Thornton said the officer was lucid.Thornton said all 16 officers were expected to be released from the hospital Thursday night, including the two most seriously injured.Five inmates were taken to outside hospitals, including the inmate shot in the head, said prison spokesman Lt. Ray Madden. Six more inmates were taken to the prison infirmary, he said. Thornton said a total of 25 inmates were treated at the prison after what Thornton called "a major riot."

Corcoran said the inmates "attempted to take the unit over. They attempted to breach the control booth. They were throwing brooms and shoving sticks in." He quoted a sergeant saying a tower guard "literally saved their lives today" by firing the lethal rounds from a Mini-14 semiautomatic rifle.The second shot inmate's condition was not immediately known, and officials had no identifying information on either inmate.

The fight began shortly before 3 p.m. in a maximum security prison exercise yard, Thornton said. The first officer was stabbed in the head, then kicked on the ground. The second officer in the yard was struck from behind. The other officers suffered less serious injuries while retaking control."Preliminarily, it escalated to maybe 20 inmates," Thornton said, "then different incidents erupted on different parts of the yard."The prison in Imperial County east of San Diego houses more than 4,000 inmates of whom more than 3,850 are maximum security. The remainder are minimum security inmates who work around the prison, and were not involved in Thursday's incident.

[  signonsandiego.com

19. August 2005

CANADA

eine auseinandersetzung soll es im hochsicherheitsknast new brunswick gegeben haben.Im ersten artikel wird berichtet das es ein riot war, im zweiten behauptet die knastbehörde es war kein Riot sondern eine auseinandersetzung / störung.

RENOUS, N.B.(CP) - The situation was reported as quiet Friday at a federal prison in New Brunswick after inmates rioted and refused to return to their cells.Sixty-two inmates at the maximum-security Atlantic Institution in Renous refused to go to their cells on Thursday afternoon, then lit small fires on three of the four ranges.RCMP and local fire-fighters were called in to help the institution's emergency response team, which had to resort to using five rounds of tear gas.The whole situation was finally defused a few hours later after the warden read the Riot Act.There was no word on injuries or the extent of damages.It's not clear what sparked the unrest.

[  cnews.canoe.ca

Prison disturbance in New Brunswick

19. August 2005

Officials at a federal prison in New Brunswick say an incident involving inmates was not a riot. Sixty-two prisoners of the Atlantic Institution in Renous refused to return to their cells Thursday, demanding to know when fellow inmates would be released from a segregated area. They set small fires and covered barriers with blankets.

The warden read the Riot Act, but when the prisoners still refused to respond, an emergency response team used tear gas to control the situation. The incident ended eight hours later."It was not a riot, it was just a disturbance which happens from time to time in a maximum-security institution," said Corrections Canada spokesman Andre Veniot.Federal legislation requires prison officials to read the Act when inmates do not return to their cells, Veniot said. There were no injuries reported and damage to the prison was minimal.

[  cbc.ca

August 2005

GUATEMALA

in mehreren knästen gab es riots mit toten. Erst gab es in sieben knästen riots mit 35 toten gefangenen, drei tage später wurden weitere menschen bei riots verletzt. Den berichten nach sollen die riots " gang-riots" sein, bei denen sich die verschiedenen gangs untereinander mit waffen angegriffen haben.

Guatemalan prison riots continue; rights groups call for reform

19. August 2005

Three days after gang related riots in seven Guatemalan prisons killed 35 inmates, three more inmate gang members were injured in riots Thursday. A later search of the prison uncovered 3 grenades, 6 guns and many homemade weapons. Blanca de Stalling, the director of an association of public defense lawyers, the Institute of Criminal Public Defense, says she warned the Guatemalan Interior Ministry of danger in early August after inmates had urged her not to visit because other prisoners had grenades. Interior Minister Carlos Vielmann issued a statement saying the weapons used earlier this week "were brought in that day or one day earlier and can't be the same ones over which Ms. Stalling filed a complaint."In a related development, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights and the Organization of American States have condemned Guatemala and demanded attention be paid to the prison problems. Pro Justice Movement issued a statement that prisoners "are indisputably human beings who, independent of the crimes they have committed, have a right to live and the state is obligated to protect" that right.

[  jurist.law.pitt.edu

3 Hurt in Another Guatemalan Prison Riot

19. August 2005

Three jailed street gang members were injured Thursday, two of them by gunfire, during a prison riot that came three days after a series of gang-related uprisings in Guatemala prisons left 35 prisoners dead.A police spokesman said at least one inmate had a gun and opened fire during the disturbance at the Canada prison work farm in Escuintla province, 45 miles south of the capital, Guatemala City.The work farm was one of seven facilities that saw rioting on Monday that killed 35 inmates, some of whom were shot or died because of grenade explosions.

The riots drew international attention, with the Inter-American Human Rights Commission and the Organization of American States both issuing statements holding the government responsible for the riots and demanding that they pay immediate attention to problems inside the prisons.Monday's riots began shortly after the explosion of grenades at El Hoyon prison in the town of Escuintla, some 30 miles south of Guatemala City.Violence broke out in six other facilities throughout the day, as Mara Salvatruchas members attacked inmates loyal to Mara 18 with guns, grenades and knives. In addition to those killed, more than 60 prisoners were injured.

[  guardian.co.uk

31 dead in four Guatemala prison riots

15.August 2005

Gang members staged simultaneous riots in at least seven Guatemalan prisons on Monday, attacking rivals with grenades, guns and knives in coordinated chaos that left 31 inmates dead, officials said.

The riots apparently began with attacks by members of the Mara Salvatrucha gang against rivals in the gang MS-18, said Interior Minister Carlos Vielmann.He said 31 inmates died before the riots were brought under control shortly after noon.An Associated Press photographer saw 18 bodies, many riddled with bullet wounds, carried from El Hoyon prison, which was specifically built to hold gang members in Escuintla, 30 miles south of the capital. A guard and 61 inmates were injured at El Hoyon, and tattooed gang members bleeding from knife wounds were carried from the prison on stretchers.

Escuintla Gov. Luis Munoz said the riot began with the explosion of two grenades.As explosions echoed from inside the small, converted police barracks in downtown Escuintla on Monday morning, nearby storekeepers rattled metal shutters down over the shop windows and crowds of visitors pressed police for information.The explosions stopped within an hour. Police first began removing the injured, then the dead.Dozens of relatives, many of them the mothers of young gang members wept hysterically as stretchers were carried from the prison. The dead were taken to a morgue. So many were injured that they overflowed the capacity of the two local hospitals, forcing officials to take some elsewhere.

Vielmann said visitors had brought guns into the prisons. "Until we have finished the high-security prisons (now under construction), that problem will persist," he said.Speaking about the apparent coordination of the attacks, Vielmann said, "the gangs maintain constant communication. They have a Web page and not only synchronize in Guatemala, they synchronize with El Salvador, Honduras and with the United States."He said they also use cellular phones and messages passed by prison visitors.

Human Rights Prosecutor Sergio Morales said there was evidence that police had helped gang members smuggle weapons into El Hoyon.El Hoyon holds 400 alleged gang members. It which was opened at an old police barracks after a December 2002 riot involving gang members at another prison in which 14 inmates died.In the other riots Monday, three inmates died Monday at the Canada Prison Farm 12 miles further south, and officials said eight died in rioting at Guatemala's top-security Pavon prison, about 15 miles east of the capital.Two others were stabbed to death at a prison in Mazatenango, 85 miles southwest of the capital, according to officials.

Vielmann said smaller disturbances were quashed at three other prisons.Law enforcement officials say the gangs emerged in Los Angeles and later spread to Central America when criminal migrants were deported back home.Governments throughout Central America have been waging a campaign against the Mara Salvatrucha and related gangs, tightening laws and throwing thousands of the tattooed gang members into prisons, which have often seen clashes between feuding factions.

In May 2004, a fire swept through a prison in San Pedro Sula, Honduras, killing 107 inmates, most of them Mara Salvatrucha members.That fire came 13 months after some suspected gang members were locked in their cells, doused with gasoline and set ablaze during a riot at the El Porvenir prison farm near the Honduran city of La Ceiba. Nearly 70 people, including prisoners, visitors and guards, were killed.In El Salvador, riots broke out in February when an alleged gang member was transferred to a top-security facility, and one inmate was killed. In September, 800 gang members rioted at two Salvadoran prisons.

[  usatoday.com

GUATEMALA gang: Prison weapons easy to get

16.august 2005

Members say guards supply guns for bribes after battles that killed 31

Members of a violent Central American gang on Tuesday claimed they routinely pay prison guards to provide them with weapons, and they blamed a rival group for starting coordinated riots at seven prisons that left 31 inmates dead.Interviewed as they recovered from gunshot and stab wounds, members of the Mara 18 blamed Monday's near-simultaneous uprisings at Guatemalan prisons on the rival Mara Salvatrucha. Gangs are known as "maras" in Central America.

Herman Ivan Aguirra, 19, a two-year member of Mara 18 from Guatemala City, said he and other prisoners were exercising when Mara Salvatrucha members seemingly came out of nowhere wielding knives, guns and grenades. "They hit me hard," Aguirra said. "There was blood everywhere, people dying, people screaming."Monday's violence began with two grenade explosions at a prison for gang members known as El Hoyon in Escuintla, officials said.It was followed by coordinated attacks by Mara Salvatrucha members against Mara 18 at six other prisons, they said. Most of the injured belonged to Mara 18, according to local media.

Mara 18 members recovering at the Escuintla Hospital said the two gangs are always fighting each other and that guards help them by providing them with weapons in exchange for bribes."(The guards) are very easy to buy," said 24-year-old Ismael Lopez, one of at least 26 gang members stabbed, shot or beaten at three prisons in Escuintla, a provincial capital 30 miles south of Guatemala City.Officials did not respond immediately to the allegations. Interior Minister Carlos Vielmann said earlier Tuesday that prison visitors smuggled in guns and passed along messages to inmates in other facilities, while some of the prisoners used cell phones to help launch the riots.

Vielmann said Monday?s attacks showed the organizational power of the gangs, which have spread terror throughout much of the region, prompting harsh official crackdowns."The gangs maintain constant communication," he said. "They have a Web page and not only synchronize in Guatemala, they synchronize with El Salvador, Honduras and with the United States."More than a dozen police officers kept watch over the 15 prisoners who remained on the Escuintla Hospital's second floor Tuesday. Some of the gang members were handcuffed to their gurneys and shouted obscenities at visitors.At a morgue in Escuintla, families arrived Tuesday to identify the bodies of dead inmates.

"There is no security anywhere. Not even prisoners are safe," said Ingrid Hernandez, who said police told her that her son, 19-year-old Eswin Rolando Hernandez, had been fatally stabbed and shot. "This is a war, and the gang members are winning," said Rolando Gamez, 41, who was trying to determine whether his 17-year-old son, Gerardo Gamez, was among the victims.Raquel Barahona, 24, began to sob violently and rocked back and forth on a concrete stoop outside the morgue after seeing her 20-year-old cousin Josue Magana, identified as one of the victims in an afternoon newspaper.

"Supposedly there is no death penalty (in Guatemala) but a lot of them were killed" in Monday's violence, she said.Those killed included 18 inmates at El Hoyon prison, a former police barracks in Escuintla that at the time of the riots housed about 400 alleged gang members.Three prisoners died at the Canada Prison Farm, 12 miles south of El Hoyon. Vielmann said eight died in rioting at Guatemala's top-security Pavon prison, about 15 miles east of the capital.

Two more were stabbed to death at a prison in Mazatenango, 85 miles southwest of the capital, and smaller disturbances were put down at three other prisons, Vielmann said.Law enforcement officials say the gangs emerged in Los Angeles and later spread to Central America when criminal migrants were deported back home. Aguirra and others said violence is simply a way of life for the gangs. He belongs, he said because "I like the crazy life."

[  msnbc.msn.com

15. August 2005

USA

riot im visalia knast / california

SUSPECTED gang members start small fires at Visalia jail

Some suspected gang members in custody at a Visalia detention center started small fires, broke windows and flooded their cells early yesterday morning.Tulare County Sheriff's Lieutenant Mike Boudreaux (BOO-droh) says the men could be charged with trying to incite a riot.Some of the inmates broke small glass windows on their cell doors, busted a couple of sprinkler heads in their cells and set some bed sheets on fire.When guards opened the cells, the eight men believed to be involved were taken into custody without incident.

[  kesq.com

15. August 2005

USA

riot im bob wiley knast / california

RIOT quelled at Bob Wiley jail

A riot broke out at the Bob Wiley Detention Facility late Saturday evening, according to a Tulare County Sheriff's Department press release. Several inmates in Unit 22 began a disturbance, which escalated into a riot, the release said. The incident resulted in damage to cell doors and windows, flooding and a burnt mattress. Jail staff was able to stop the riot. Several inmates sustained minor injuries and were treated by facility medical staff.

[  portervillerecorder.com

15. August 2005

VANUATU

proteste der gefangenen in den knästen port vila und luganville gegen menschenrechtsverletzungen durch polizisten sowie die schlechten bedingungen in den knästen.

Police must explain prison riots urgently

Prisoners from Luganville and Port Vila prisons were expecting the minister responsible to release some of them under licence or remission in July.

A reliable source said prisoners in Luganville questioned a police representative about their release when he visited them recently. "The police officer told them he will get back to them as soon as he meets the minister," said the source.Early last week, prisoners from the ex-French jail at Stade area in Vila, refused prison wardens' orders in protest against the poor condition of the prison and the way they are treated, claiming their human rights have been deprived by police in charge.

The minister of police, George Wells, later wrote a letter to the acting commissioner of police, Arthur Caulton, informing him that he is very concerned about the case as he was never briefed on the prisoners' concerns."While the ministry is well aware of the status of prison conditions in Port Vila and Luganville, the police are required by law to keep those incarcerated in proper discipline and order. Since this problem occurred I have not been personally briefed as minister responsible for prisons on details on the event that took place," said the minister.

"It is understood that the prisoners have made some demands, currently not known to the ministry, but which may need to be addressed by the VPF and the government. So you are requested to provide a brief to the ministry as a matter of urgency," minister advised the acting police commissioner."You are aware of the long-term plan of the present government, now in progress, to upgrade the prison standard through the establishment of the Correctional Services Unit. So it would be in the interest of everyone to control problems to the minimum while we go through this upgrading phase," reiterated the minister.

The first political advisor to the ministry, Joe Calo, explained that the plan to renovate prisons is a long-term project that will take the government till 2008 or 2009 to be fully completed.He stated that following Wen's death, which allegedly involved an ex-prisoner, the minister has not released any more prisoners.

"History will repeat itself. Prisoners claim to be well-behaved and 'highly disciplined' in prison but as soon as they are released, most of them repeat the same mistakes," said Calo.

[  news.vu

12. August 2005

PHILIPPINES

ein toter und mehrere verletzte durch schußwaffen bei einem riot im bulacan knast. Ob die männer durch kugeln der wärter verletzt bzw. getötet wurden wird jetzt überprüft.

1 dead, several injured as inmates riot in Bulacan jail

Gov. Josefina de la Cruz on Friday ordered the relief of the provincial jail warden and nine other jail officials following the death of a detainee during a riot inside the jail on Thursday night.De la Cruz appointed special investigator Adelio Asuncion to replace Ariel Santiago.Senior Supt. Benjamin Michael Fokno said detainee Jess Macawili died while undergoing treatment for bullet wounds at the Bulacan Provincial Hospital. Eight others, including jail guard Joselino Cayetano, were also treated for wounds at the same hospital.

Fokno said the prisoners had a drinking spree at the court?s open yard near their detention cell to celebrate the birthday of one of their mates.He said a group of prisoners attacked Cayetano and started a riot at 10:30 p.m. When Cayetano shouted for help, Santiago and other jail officers fired warning shots to pacify the detainees.The riot continued after the lights at the jail compound were turned off.Fokno said they are investigating if the bullets that hit some of the victims came from the service firearms of the jail officers.

[  news.inq7.net

10.August 2005

USA

mehrere artikel zu den riots in san quentin

39 / 42 verletzte bei knastkämpfen zwischen weißen gefangenen und gefangenen mit lateinamerikanischer herkunft ( klingt zwar blöd, aber nur lateinamerikanisch ist nicht richtig, weil die menschen z.t. in den usa geboren sind) im san quentin knast. Der knast ist seit dem 1. august unter lockdown wegen früherer auseinandersetzungen zwischen den gefangenen.

Riots At San Quentin Injure 42; 3 Hospitalized With Serious Injuries

A large riot broke out at San Quentin State Prison in California Monday which left 42 inmates injured and three hospitalized with severe but undisclosed injuries. The fighting involved at least 70 inmates many of whom used knives and clubs made with razor blades, tooth brushes and other items they had ready access to. The fight raged on for 10 minutes before 10 prison guards stepped in to break it up using pepper spray to stun the inmates. The fighting broke out between white inmates and Latino inmates. Prison officials said it could have been a lot worse.

'This is believed to be an escalation of a problem that has existed at the prison for about eight days,' Sergeant Eric Messick, the prison spokesman told the 'San Francisco Chronicle.' 'Had staff not handled the situation so well, it could have been very scary.' The melee began at 8:40 AM in H-unit which contains four medium security dorm style units. According to guards, the Latinos attacked the white inmates who were expecting an attack and fought back hard. Injuries were evenly distributed between the two sides according to prison officials. Messick insisted that the attack was not a race riot, saying there were other factors such as gang issues, territorial rivalries and prison-style respect, or the lack thereof. He indicated that tensions were increasing since August 1 when three whites were assaulted by Latinos, allegedly because they were upset over a tattoo one of the white prisoners had that indicated he was allied with a rival Latino gang in Southern California.

'This thing grew legs from a personal respect issue and it was a domino effect,' Messick said. 'Now, I don't think it has anything to do with the original problem. These guys that are involved in this are not designated gang members. It comes off of the street subculture.' Forty inmates were transferred to Administrative Segregation. If it was determined they were involved in the riot, they will be transferred to other prisons.

[  elitestv.com

Officials seek San Quentin riot culprits

10. august 2005

A section of San Quentin State Prison remained locked down Tuesday, a day after one of the largest riots at the facility in more than two decades.

The move was designed to lessen the likelihood of renewed fighting between warring white and Latino inmates, which left 39 inmates injured, said Sgt. Eric Messick, a prison spokesman.The fighting left officials at the 5,500-inmate prison, just across the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco, with the task of identifying the combatants.''Typically speaking, when we've identified participants in a riot in San Quentin, they will be transferred out of San Quentin,'' Messick said. More than 50 inmates have already been segregated from the general prison population because of their involvement in incidents leading up to the riot.Problems at the state's oldest prison began brewing a week ago between white and Latino inmates in the medium-security, 828-inmate North Block. The fighting appeared to break out after a white inmate was apparently labeled as a "Southern sympathizer," someone with some past or present association with Latinos from Southern California, Messick said. San Quentin houses primarily Latino prisoners from Northern California.

''This is a condition that's been going on for over 35 years,'' Messick said. ''Its roots run real deep. There's been a divide between the northern and southern Hispanics.... It's taken very seriously.''The sympathizer label was untrue, Messick said, but white inmates might have taken offense at the label. Personalties and attitudes probably fueled the conflict until it escalated to violence.

[  montereyherald.com

Lockdown Still Affects Some at San Quentin

10.August 2005

The day after a fight between white and Latino inmates caused 39 injuries, prison officials are working to identify the combatants.A section of San Quentin State Prison remained locked down Tuesday, a day after one of the largest riots at the facility in more than two decades. The move was designed to lessen the likelihood of renewed fighting between white and Latino inmates, said Sgt. Eric Messick, a prison spokesman.

Monday's fight, in which 39 inmates were injured, left officials at the 5,500-inmate prison with the task of identifying the combatants."Typically speaking, when we've identified participants in a riot in San Quentin, they will be transferred out of San Quentin," Messick said.More than 50 inmates have been segregated from the general prison population because of their involvement in incidents leading up to the riot.Problems at the state's oldest prison began brewing a week ago in the medium-security 828-inmate North Block.The fighting appeared to stem from violations of the complex inmate-imposed rules that govern prison life.A white inmate was apparently viewed as a "Southern sympathizer," someone with an association with Latinos from Southern California, Messick said. Of San Quentin's Latino prisoners, most are from Northern California.

"This is a condition that's been going on for over 35 years," Messick said. "Its roots run real deep. There's been a divide between the northern and southern Hispanics?. It's taken very seriously."The sympathizer label was untrue, but white inmates might have taken offense at it , Messick said. Personalties and attitudes probably fueled the conflict until it escalated to violence, he said.On Aug. 1, groups of Latino inmates assaulted lone white prisoners in three incidents in the North Block, Messick said. That night officers placed North Block on lockdown, during which inmates are confined to their quarters except for showers and meals. Visits are not allowed. The medium-security H-Unit was locked down the next morning when the two groups squared off on the yard.

A partial lockdown of white and Latino inmates was still in effect Monday when inmates of the H-Unit returned to their dorm after breakfast, about 8:40 a.m."A small group of Hispanic inmates attacked a white inmate in his living area, and almost instantaneously other fights broke out among the two groups," Messick said.The fighting, which involved at least 80 inmates, was quelled in about six minutes by officers using pepper spray, Messick said. Three inmates who suffered serious injuries were treated at a hospital and released.A riot in June 1982 involved 1,500 prisoners and left dozens of inmates and four guards injured.

[  latimes.com

Race riot injures 42 inmates at San Quentin

9. August 2005

Biggest melee since 1982 keeps prisoners in lockdown

An ethnic brawl among some 70 inmates at San Quentin State Prison yesterday injured 42 prisoners and perpetuated a lockdown that has been in place since last week, officials said.The melee broke out around 8:40 a.m. in H Unit, an area housing approximately 875 medium-security inmates in four dormitories, prison Sgt. Eric Messick said.Messick said 70 inmates from two ethnic factions, whites and Northern California Latinos, were involved in the fighting, some using crude stabbing and bludgeoning implements.About 50 prison staffers rushed in and squelched the melee within three or four minutes, using pepper spray but no guns or batons, according to Messick.Three inmates were taken to a hospital for treatment, prison Lt. Vernell Crittendon said. The injuries were not life-threatening; two of the hospitalized prisoners had slash wounds, another suffered a head injury.

An additional 39 inmates were treated for minor injuries at the prison. None of the inmates lost consciousness.No prison guards were injured."These types of incidents are fairly, unfortunately, common in California prisons," said Lance Corcoran, executive vice president for the California Correctional Peace Officers Association. "San Quentin has not experienced an increase in these types of incidents. It's not something that necessarily rises to the radar."Prison officials are still investigating what prompted the fighting and to what extent it was planned in advance. About 75 inmates were arrested throughout the four dorms in H Unit."We arrested as many as we could, but we probably didn't get them all," Messick said. "Hopefully we got the major players."

Crittendon said it appears the Latinos were the aggressors in the incident, leading prison staffers to remain on alert for possible retaliatory attacks. Officers seized numerous weapons after the melee, including slashing implements, stabbing weapons and bars of soap or padlocks stuffed into socks."We had all four buildings with these attacks going on," Crittendon said. "The preliminary evidence leads us to believe this was a coordinated attack.""The victims of the attack appear to be white inmates," he added. "The target of the attack is still being investigated, but it appears it might be a white supremacist inmate."The outbreak was contained to H Unit. The 875 inmates in the unit are among 1,700 "Level II" inmates, a medium-security classification.

The prison's overall population was 5,432 at yesterday's count. The majority - a revolving population of about 3,300 in the "reception center" - are inmates staying at San Quentin temporarily while being processed for other prisons.Had yesterday's melee spread to the reception center, major bedlam might have ensued, Messick said."This hasn't carried over to our reception area, which is a feather in our cap," he said.The brawl prompted officials to extend a lockdown that had been in place since last week, when a series of fights broke out among Latinos and whites. During lockdowns, prisoners are generally confined to their quarters 24 hours a day, educational and work programs are suspended and only legal visits and medical appointments are permitted.

Fights and lockdowns are a periodic occurrence at San Quentin. In 1999, about 400 inmates were restricted to their housing unit after an inmate attacked a guard, sparking a melee involving five prisoners and 21 officers. No major injuries were reported.In June 1982, racial tensions sparked a 1,000-inmate riot that injured about 70 prisoners. At the time, the prison population was 3,394.In the 1971 "San Quentin Six" riot, an escape attempt by prison revolutionary George Jackson sparked a melee that left six people dead, including Jackson, two inmates and three prison guards.

[  marinij.com

Dozens hurt in Calif. Hispanic-white prison riot

8. August 2005

Hundreds of inmates battled at San Quentin State Prison on Monday, leaving 39 injured in the latest eruption of violence between white and Hispanic inmates.Some inmates used locks or other heavy objects in socks or caps as weapons in the fight, which prison spokesman Vernell Crittendon said appeared to start when Hispanic prisoners attacked whites at breakfast time.Guards used pepper spray to end the 10-minute fight.

Three of the injured inmates had to be taken to outside hospitals but Todd Slosek, a spokesman for the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, said none of the injuries were life-threatening."At about 8:40 this morning we had approximately 400 inmates participating in a riot," Crittendon said. "Thirty-nine of them we have been able to identify as needing medical treatment."The riot occurred in a section of the prison housing about 900 inmates who have been under lockdown since Aug. 1 because of earlier fighting between whites and Hispanics, Slosek said.

"They were preparing to start moving the inmates over for breakfast," Crittendon said. "We had them segregated. The Latino inmates were going to exit and go to breakfast. During that movement, the initial reports indicate that the Latinos began to attack white inmates."A lockdown means San Quentin temporarily barred inmates in that section of the prison from recreation in the large yard where inmates can play everything from tennis to baseball. They still have opportunities to interact such as when they are coming and going during meal times.Prisoners throughout California often self-segregate along racial lines, sometimes into violent gangs made up of blacks, Hispanic, whites or other groups.San Quentin was established in 1852 and is California's oldest prison. It has nearly 6,000 prisoners, including inmates condemned to die such as wife-killer Scott Peterson and notorious mass murderers.

[  yahoo.com

29. July 2005

AUSTRALIA

nach einem zweimonatigen hungerstreik ist ein 50 jähriger mann erkrankt.die knastleitung ist der meining der hungerstreik sei die vorbreitung zur flucht. Der mann protestiert mit dem hungerstreik gegen seine verlegung in einen hochsicherheitstrakt.

Hunger strike linked to jail break plan

A NOTORIOUS hitman who once stabbed Mark Brandon "Chopper" Read in a prison brawl is seriously ill after a two-month hunger strike that prison sources suspect may be linked to an elaborate escape plan.Gregory John Brazel, who is serving a 34-year sentence for the execution murders of two prostitutes in 1990, has been refusing to eat after authorities placed him in the Acacia unit of Victoria's Barwon Prison, the maximum-security wing also used to house underworld figures arrested during the police crackdown on Melbourne's brutal underworld war.

Brazel, who was also convicted of the 1982 murder of hardware store owner Mildred Hanmer, is considered one of Australia's most difficult prisoners and has spent less than five years out of prison during the past 30 years.He has more than 75 criminal convictions and been involved in at least 25 violent incidents while incarcerated, including the 1978 stabbing of Read at Pentridge prison.

Prison sources say Brazel, a former altar boy and son of a NSW detective, has been refusing to eat for the past two months and surviving only on milk, which he occasionally mixes with his own blood.The sources say Brazel, 50, is emaciated and very weak and spends most days in bed.It is believed Brazel started his protest after being moved from Barwon Prison's Banksia unit for disciplinary reasons.

Officers at the prison were briefed on Brazel's condition this week and warned the hunger strike might be part of an elaborate escape plan.They suspect Brazel is hoping to be transferred from the maximum security unit to the hospital unit at Port Phillip Prison and may try to abscond.

Brazel has a long history of security breaches within Victorian prisons, including taking a staff member hostage in 1991.A 1998 prison bashing of Brazel by four inmates resulted in a sensational trial in which the defendants threw excrement at the jury, repeatedly sang the Collingwood Football Club anthem and exposed their buttocks.

[  news.com.au

27. July 2005

SAUDI ARABIA

mehr als 50 gefangene im najaran knast sind im hungerstreik. Sie protestieren damit gegen die mißhandlung von gefangenen nach der flucht eines mannes.

Prisoners on hunger strike in Saudi jail

More than 50 prisoners in Najran prison in Saudi Arabia have gone on hunger strike since Thursday to protest against the maltreatment of some their colleagues by security officers following the escape from prison by one of the inmates, a statement issued by "Human Rights First" organisation said.The organisation said it had received a letter from one of the prisoners who said they have decided to take the action to protest against the brutalities against some of their mates for fear that such maltreatment could be repeated against them.

The prisoners demanded fair investigations by a team of independent investigators other than the security officers in the region. They also demanded that prison authorities should stop holding them responsible for the loopholes in the prison which allows the prisoner to escape from lawful custody and for equal treatment with prisoners in other prisons, in terms of incentives like the special royal pardon for those who memorise the Holy Quran enjoying a cut in their prison terms.

The prisoners said that 24 hours after they embarked on the hunger strike, a number of them in solitary confinement, fell unconscious, but the prison authorities refused to give them even water, not to talk about medical treatment, adding that the authorities' behaviour was "a stark violation of the basic principles of human rights, the international charter and law, to which the country is a signatory," the prisoners said in the letter."The Human Rights First" organisation condemned all forms of arbitrary measures taken by the security authorities against the prisoners in Najran Prison.

[  khaleejtimes.com

24. July 2005

USA

nach einer heftigen auseinandersetzung zwischen gefangenen und wärtern im lancaster county knast / south carolina ist ein gefangener tot und mehrere wärter ( im ersten bericht 2 im zweiten 4 ) verletzt. Der knast ist unter "lockdown" weitere auskünfte gibt es nicht.

INCIDENT At Detention Center Leaves Inmate Dead, Officers Injured

Tuesday morning two local prison guards were in serious condition, one in Charlotte, after a fight that led to the death of an inmate at the Lancaster County Detention Center.An autopsy revealed that inmate Maury Cunningham died of undisclosed causes after the fight this weekend.State Police are investigating so the Sheriff's office can't comment on what happened.Cunningham was being held at the detention center on charges including assault and battery with intent to kill.

[  wsoctv.com

One Dead, Four Hurt in Prison Altercation

An altercation last night at the Lancaster County Detention Center left one inmate dead and four correctional officers taken to area hospitals. Lancaster County Sheriff Johnny Cauthen says one guard was airlifted to a nearby hospital where he was being treated for a stab wound above his eye. The other three officers also were taken to a hospital for treatment. Two of those officers have been released. The inmate's name was not released. Cauthen wouldn't say how the inmate died, but an autopsy was planned. Three officers were stabbed and one was assaulted. Cauthen wouldn't say what type of weapon was used. The jail is on lockdown and State Law Enforcement Division agents are investigating.

[  wltx.com

22. July 2005

GUANTANAMO

Guantanamo Inmates Declare Hunger Strike

[  Guantanamo Inmates Declare Hunger Strike

20. July 2005

JORDAN

16 gefangene sind im hungerstreik. Grund sind die todesstrafen - urteile gegen zwei männer.

Jordan prisoners protest death penalty

AMMAN, Jordan, July 20 (UPI) -- Sixteen prisoners in Jordan observed a hunger strike for the ninth day Wednesday to protest the death penalty.A spokesman for the general security department told UPI the number of strikers has increased since five inmates first began it July 12.He said the strikers are in good health and are being examined by doctors regularly while the prison administration is trying to convince them to end the protest. The strike was started by five prisoners accused of belonging to al-Qaida, including two who were sentenced to death.The strikers are protesting the death sentences served against Khaled Maghamess and Khoder Abu Hoshar, convicted of terrorist action and of being al-Qaida operatives.

[  sciencedaily.com

17. juli 2005

Jordan al-Qaida prisoners on hunger strike

AMMAN, Jordan, July 17 (UPI) -- Jordan said Sunday five suspected al-Qaida prisoners were on a hunger strike to protest the security court's verdicts against them.

A Public Security Department spokesman said the five men, two of whom have been sentenced to death on terrorism charges, started their hunger strike on Tuesday and were under medical supervision in Qafqa Prison.The spokesman, who was not identified by name, added the prisoners were in solitary confinement in line with prison regulations.

He added the prisoners submitted a letter of protest saying that "it has been six years since our arrest and until now there has been no final verdict."In 2000, Jordan's State Security Court convicted a group of 28 suspected al-Qaida members, including these five prisoners, handing down sentences ranging from 15 years to the death penalty.However, the appeals court has overturned the verdicts several times, the last of which was in April.

[  sciencedaily.com

16. July 2005

USA

nachdem 20 gefangene die toiletten verstoften und so zellen überfluteten wurde der riverside county knast 12 stunden unter "lockdown" gestellt.

UNRULY Inmates Prompt 12-Hour Jail Lockdown

About 20 unruly inmates clogged toilets and flooded cells at the Riverside County Jail in French Valley, forcing jailers to impose a modified lockdown for more than 12 hours, authorities said.

"A group of inmates were upset with each other," Sgt. Earl Quinata said Thursday. Inmates stuffed cell toilets just after midnight, causing water to flood cells and a common room in a section of the Southwest Detention Center.Quinata said the modified lockdown at the 1,070-inmate jail was imposed as a precaution."This type of situation creates a security concern," he said.

[  latimes.com

03. JULY 2005

USA

bei auseinandersetzungen im allegheny county knast wurden 2 gefangene und 6 wärter verwundet, mind. drei gefangenen droht eine erneute anklage.

Jail brawl over TV sends six guards, two inmates to hospital

PITTSBURGH - A brawl at the Allegheny County jail sparked by an argument over television sent six guards and two inmates being to the hospital with minor injuries, the warden said.Investigators were still working out details of Saturday's melee, but Warden Ramon Rustin said the trouble began when guards ordered inmates in the maximum-security pod into the cells after some inmates began arguing when a guard either turned off the TV or changed the channel.Some inmates refused to return to their cells, he said.

"Then the officers tried to escort them to their cells," Rustin said. "That's when they turned on the officers."Investigators haven't determined how many inmates were involved, but Rustin said it wasn't the entire pod, which houses about 56 inmates. At least three inmates will be charged, he said, and others could be charged when jail Internal Affairs officers complete an investigation.Rustin did not identify the guards or inmates involved.

"All of our officers and supervisors did an excellent job of containing the situation and making sure it didn't escalate," he said.One guard was treated for torn ligaments in his leg and five others were treated for bruises, Rustin said. Two inmates also were treated for similar injuries.The pod will remain locked down during the investigation, Rustin said.

[  timesleader.com