Today the mothers of Abdallahi Lakfawni and El Bashir Boutanguiza detained at Kenitra Prison and Brahim Ismaili’s family detained at Ait-Melloul Prison 2 were allowed to visit the prisoners who are on their 18 day of hunger strike and in isolation.
These families reported that the prisoner are in an alarming state of health, inability to move, body pain, dificulty to see, frequent nausea, headaches, kidney and stomach ache. According to the families the prisoners are victims of medical neglect.
The prisoners are kept in punishment cells known as kacho or coffin cells infested with insect and vermins without appropriate ventilation and absence of basic hygiene. The cells are cold and humid and the prisoners do not have sufficient blankets.
The prison administration does not allow them to drink bottled water nor are they allowed to add sugar or salt to the tap water.
Although the morrocan law concerning the rights the prisoners ( loi n° 23-98 relative à l’organisation et au fonctionnement des établissements pénitentiaires) in its article 32 and 33 states that the prisoners in isolation have to be visited 3 times a week by the prison doctor and that the conditions should be identical to the ones outside isolation, this is not the case on the contrary.
Also the law is clear saying that isolation regime is due to security reasons or health reason, none of those apply to prisoners in hunger strike. The Mandela Rules are not respected either.
The prison administration has so far not engaged in dialogue with the prisoners in hunger strike that are in protest since 9th of March and furthermore they denounced that they suffer frequent provocations by officials of the Prison Directorate.
This was the first contact with the families since the 9th of March, the hunger strikers are not allowed to have any phone contact with their families.
There are no news concerning Sidi Abdallahi Abbahah and Mohamed Bourial who are also on hunger strike and isolation since the 9th of March in Kenitra prison.
