Ombudsman’s office has not received complaints about hunger strike in Liepāja Prison
Latvia’s Ombudsman has not received any submissions from inmates about a hunger strike at Liepāja Prison; the office plans to visit the prison as part of this year’s programme.
The Ombudsman’s office has not received any application from prisoners concerning a hunger strike at Liepāja Prison. The office noted that, in carrying out its National Preventive Mechanism functions, its representatives regularly visit places of deprivation of liberty, including prisons, to check respect for human rights and treatment of inmates. A visit to Liepāja Prison is included in this year’s scheduled visits. During the visit, various aspects related to ensuring prisoners’ rights will be assessed under the National Preventive Mechanism mandate, the office said.
Latvian Television previously reported that several inmates at the new Liepāja Prison had launched a hunger strike to protest limited opportunities to take walks in the open air. The prisoners claim that several dozen people are refusing food and that the strike has lasted for nearly a week. Ten people have also filed official applications concerning the hunger strike.
The prison administration does not confirm those numbers. According to its information, on Monday it had received seven applications declaring a hunger strike, and currently four people are refusing the food offered by the prison. At the same time, they are able to buy food on the prison premises or receive meals from other inmates.
The inmates are particularly dissatisfied with how walks are organised. They told television that in the previous Jelgava Prison, those who reached the highest regime level could move more freely between their cell and the walking yard and go to other activities. In Liepāja Prison, staff escort prisoners to the walking yard and each unit has a separate time slot.
