Nicosia, Cyprus: Call for solidarity with immigrant hunger strikers

Since Monday, October 24th, 52 people (out of the 65 total in their block), all of them immigrant detainees, have begun a hunger strike in block 10 of the central prison. Their crime: their illegal residency in Cyprus. Their demand: to stop being denied their basic rights which are being oppressed by the State.

These people are being detained in order to be deported, they are not convicted criminals. On the contrary, the criminal in this case is none other than the State which in many cases keeps them in prison for time periods much longer than the 6 months which is defined as the maximum period by directive 115/2008 (since there is no national law to define the exceptions to this directive in article 15 paragraph 6). In addition to this, in many cases the procedural guarantees are not observed and their detention is ordered without even a detention decree.

On Thursday, October20th, in front of the camera of block 10, a 46-year-old Algerian made a suicide attempt with razors. The video of the attempted suicide is in the hands of the police. This man is married and has two children, he has asked repeatedly to return to his country but they won’t allow him. For more than two weeks he has declared that he refuses to accept food, and his despair urged the rest of his cellmates to begin a hunger strike as well.

On Friday, October 28th, one more person attempted suicide by making a noose from sheets and was saved at the last minute. This man, a Syrian, has been detained for more than a year and also wants to return to his country but they will not deport him. This is a man who has been detained for more than a year, breaking every pertinent law, and they will neither deport him, nor release him.

The fact that this repulsive situation receives practically zero attention from the mass media reflects the general picture of our society, which consciously allows the issue of illegal residents to be hidden under the rug. The State which is preparing itself for the European presidency oppresses human rights with all its brutality, and the Europeanized citizens whistle indifferently in front of the utter humiliation of human dignity, while they’re upholding their image as humanists.

We stand in solidarity with the hunger strikers and also with every person whose human rights are being oppressed by the governments. We call on those who still have some humanity in them to an assembly for the decision of actions to be taken, on Tuesday (1/11) at 6pm at the stairs of Faneromeni School in Nicosia.

People in solidarity with the hunger strikers

APPEAL FOR URGENT ASSISTANCE

Dear Sir/Madam,

We the detainees in the immigration detention,block 10, Nicosia central prison, kindly write and humbly solicit for your urgent assistance in mitigating in our unjustifiable detention. our cases are enormous ranging from unjustifiable detention against the clear decision of the supreme court of Cyprus; long detention period of over six months, denying international students of the asses to complete their degree and so on.

on these, we feel neglected and compelled to notify your institutions of the existing situation inhere which is pitiable and unacceptable.

As a way of calling for concern from appropriate human rights quarters and institution, we are collectively on a hunger strike since Monday the 24th of October 2011and intend to push with this peace agenda until we get attention from the authority inspite of the health consequences.

We wish to state categorically that, this decision is not a threat but rather an appeal and an expression for your assistance at this time of our great travails for your timely and urgent assistance.

we are confident that your prestigious institutions and goodwill offices will be of huge assistance to our unjustified detention and sorry situation.

while we wait for your quick response,

Thank you in anticipation

Yours faithfully,

http://en.contrainfo.espiv.net/

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