ZAGREB/SPLIT, Jan 24 (Hina) - The Croatian Justice Ministry has reported that some prisoners in a local jail in Split have refused to eat the prison's food since Thursday, January 21, in protest over "the special security" measures"
imposed after the recent death of a prisoner, Petar Brekalo. Brekalo is believed to have died of a drugs overdose in the end of 1998 in the Split jail. Results of the official autopsy are to be announced. The Justice Ministry issued a statement saying that some officers from other correctional institutions have been sent to Split while some of Split prisoners have been temporarily transferred to prisons, in line with the court's permission, in order to achieve a higher level of security and efficacy of the Split institution. The menu in the Split prison has also been improved, and the food brought to prisoners by their visitors continued to be inspected in detail. Acco
ZAGREB/SPLIT, Jan 24 (Hina) - The Croatian Justice Ministry has
reported that some prisoners in a local jail in Split have refused
to eat the prison's food since Thursday, January 21, in protest over
"the special security" measures" imposed after the recent death of
a prisoner, Petar Brekalo.
Brekalo is believed to have died of a drugs overdose in the end of
1998 in the Split jail. Results of the official autopsy are to be
announced.
The Justice Ministry issued a statement saying that some officers
from other correctional institutions have been sent to Split while
some of Split prisoners have been temporarily transferred to
prisons, in line with the court's permission, in order to achieve a
higher level of security and efficacy of the Split institution.
The menu in the Split prison has also been improved, and the food
brought to prisoners by their visitors continued to be inspected in
detail.
According to the statement, both visitors and imprisoned persons
are thoroughly checked as well.
A prisoner is enabled to use telephone if the court allows so
previously.
They can receive visitors but not a group of them at once.
The lawyer can hold talks with his client in a room "under the visual
supervision of the Security", the statement said.
The Security also discharge their regular duty of checking people
and rooms, the statement recalled.
Cigarettes can be bought in the prison's canteen. Prisoners, either
individually or in groups when too many of them request an
examination, can have medical check-ups.
According to the statement, some prisoners has been turning down
offered food in the prison since January 21, due to the above-
mentioned measures.
On the first day of the protest, 100 out of 204 prisoners, declined
to have breakfast, while 21 ate neither lunch nor dinner. On the
following day, 30 prisoners did not want to have breakfast, 21 did
not eat lunch, while 19 refused to have dinner. The same prisoners
refused the food on January 23, but nine of them accepted the food
given by their visitors, and ten of them used supplies collected
before, read the statement.
Prisoners said they protested over too strict and unlawful
inspection of the food brought to them from outside, over too
frequent controls of persons and rooms and over a lack of cigarettes
in canteen and their being unable to buy cigarettes at a market
price.
The detained persons complained about the protracted procedures
for allowing visitors to see them and for medical examinations as
well as about the restricted usage of telephone.
The Ministry stated that prisoners who refused prison food were
being under constant control of doctors and that their health had
not been affected so far.
The prison's management is trying, through frequent talks, to
persuade the prisoners to stop refusing the prison food as they have
no real reason for such a protest.
The management has also explained that all measures imposed
recently, in compliance with law, are in the interest of the prison,
prisoners and visitors, said the statement signed by Jure Zulj, an
assistant to the Deputy Justice Minister.
(hina) ms