April 24, 2018
Today, at noon on April 24, 2018, political detainees housed in Suwayda Central Prison initiated a widespread hunger strike. The protest comes in response to unjust rulings against them calling on judicial and security committees to reevaluate these sentences.
The Assistant Police Commander for the city of Suwayda engaged in talks with the hunger-striking detainees. Despite the discussions, the prisoners remained resolute, insisting that they would not end the strike or accept food until a judicial and security committee is convened to reconsider their sentences. All participating detainees have committed to maintaining the prison’s security and property and have pledged not to engage in any destructive or chaotic behavior.
The Association of Detainees and Missing Persons in Seydnayah Prison notes that the majority of the political detainees in Suwayda Central Prison were arrested in early 2011. Their arrests were based on either direct or indirect involvement in the grassroots movement that sought to topple the Syrian regime.
