Release of 10 immigrants! The first fruits of the iimprisoned immigrants struggle! Unfortunately Majid, being kept for 4 years and unwilling to take this for anymore starts a new hunger strike
Majid from Iran, kept for 4 whole years without any fair reason, despite his initial hopes after the release of his fellow imprisoned immigrants, unfortunately under enormous pressure and insecurity and unable to cope with his continuous imprisonment for 4 years now, and this of others for more than 1 year already, was not released yet.
As he informed the police, he will start his hunger strike again, despite the recommendations to be patient until Monday when things will be more clear, after today’s important positive development.
It is unfortunately something we hardly can realise and understand all of us that cannot even picture the condition of these persons, from the comfort of our armchairs and laptops, stuck in our selfcentered and convenient world.
We are talking for people and not things nor even animals, and we ‘re not asking for a favour to treat them with dignity. If we get this, then maybe this dreadful world will become slightly better.
20 minutes earlier, 10 immigrants were released from Block 10 of the Central Prisons!
A first victory for the struggle of the imprisoned immigrants and their solidarity!
We wait and hope for the next.
The migrant prisoners decided to stop their hunger strike, thus showing good faith (!) towards the promises of the General Director of the Ministry of Interior of Cyprus…
Their statement here:
“Hello everybody
This letter represents all the detainees who went on hunger strike, in block 10 Nicosia central prison from the 24/10/11 until the 3/11/11, which lasted for 12days. We got assurance from the people, who spoke to the general director of the ministry of interior Mr. Andreas Assiotis, that Mr. General Director will do the needful to solve our problems within 7days.
We believe that the government and the ministry of interior of Cyprus understand our real situation and this peaceful exercise. In order to show our goodwill and trust towards Mr. General Director and the government of Cyprus, we decided to stop the hunger strike.
We hope to have some good result, so we may not have to do this in future. we went on hunger strike to get attention and assistants, but not to hurt any person, institution or ourselves.
We would like to express our heartfelt thanks to those all, for their time, hard work and care, provided for all this time.
Thanks”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c0vOedDbjW8
—> http://osr55.wordpress.com/2011/11/04
Demonstration:
Thursday (03-11-2011), 13:30/ outside the Ministry of Interior.
Free the 67 immigrants that are on hunger strike in Nicosia central prison and Lakatamia police station!
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Minutes of the Assembly of November 1rst outside Phaneromeni school nicosia cyprus
Solidarity to the imprisoned immigrants on hunger strike
There was initially an update on the developments of the hunger strike of the 52 prisoners in Block 10 that led two prisoners to the General Hospital and another two of them to Athalassa’s psychiatric unit. Today, another 15 persons, prisoners of Lakatamia police station went on a hunger strike. There were information of pressure applied on the hungerstrikers to cease their struggle even using their families an children, threatening them with disqualification of their permits to attend a school here.
The assembly decided:
*To hold a protest gathering outside the Ministry of Interior Affairs, on Thursday, November 3rd 2011, at 13:30.
*To create a facebook group with real time updates on all the developments inside and outside the detention center.
*To publish all press releases in international and regional human rights, torture and immigration institutions.
The main concern of the assembly is to make the immigrant hungerstrikers as visible as possible and to inform the publiv that their detention is under violation of the Supreme Court decisions, for more than 6 months while refusing their repatriation in certain cases and without the option for alternatice to detention provisions of the Act (such as bail, attendance to a police station, voluntary repatriation or temporary residence permit).
After the assembly decision for protest gathering outside the Ministry of Interior Affairs on Thursday, there was a spontaneous gathering outside the police station of Lakatamia by around 25 persons from the assembly. Slogans in solidarity to the hungerstrikers were chanted as well as against the prisons, initially from behind the detention area and then in front of the main entrance of the police station. In this police station there are 15 immigrants on hunger strike in solidarity to the other hungerstrikers of the central prisons.
translate by actforfreedomnow!
THE SPEAKING VOICE FROM INSIDE PRISON OF The immigrant hunger strikers 1 NOVEMBER 11
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,
Block 10 Detainees.
Actforfreedomnow! 
Contra Info
November 6, 2011
The migrant prisoners decided to stop their hunger strike, thus showing good faith (!) towards the promises of the General Director of the Ministry of Interior of Cyprus…
Their statement here:
“Hello everybody
This letter represents all the detainees who went on hunger strike, in block 10 Nicosia central prison from the 24/10/11 until the 3/11/11, which lasted for 12days. We got assurance from the people, who spoke to the general director of the ministry of interior Mr. Andreas Assiotis, that Mr. General Director will do the needful to solve our problems within 7days.
We believe that the government and the ministry of interior of Cyprus understand our real situation and this peaceful exercise. In order to show our goodwill and trust towards Mr. General Director and the government of Cyprus, we decided to stop the hunger strike.
We hope to have some good result, so we may not have to do this in future. we went on hunger strike to get attention and assistants, but not to hurt any person, institution or ourselves.
We would like to express our heartfelt thanks to those all, for their time, hard work and care, provided for all this time.
Thanks”
—> http://osr55.wordpress.com/2011/11/04