22th day of hunger strike

Source: Reuters

Ivory Coast hunger strike prisoners receiving medical treatment ( UN )

Abidjan ( Ivory Coast ) - About 150 suspected supporters of Ivory Coast's former president Laurent Gbagbo are receiving medical treatment in prison after starting a hunger strike this month, an official from Gbagbo's political party and a UN document said.

More than 300 detainees at the main prison in the commercial capital Abidjan, many of whom have been held for more than two years, began their hunger strike on 1 December, calling for Ivorian authorities to either start their trials or free them on bail.

 Critics say President Ouattara has pursued a policy of "victor's justice", jailing opponents since the conflict while ignoring abuses committed by his own supporters.

The human rights division of Ivory Coast's UN mission, UNOCI, visited the prisoners on 11 December.

"UNOCI Human Rights observed that about 150 detainees were admitted at the prison infirmary, including six in a serious condition and three of whom required medical evacuation to a hospital," an internal UN report said after the visit.

Michel Gbagbo, the son of the former president and head of his FPI party's prisoner affairs committee, said many were suffering from dehydration and others had seen a worsening of health problems linked to their treatment since their arrests.

Asked about the inmates on Wednesday, government spokesperson Bruno Kone said he was not aware any were suffering from health problems.

Political prisoners on hunger strike, near-critical after 19 days

Political prisoners on hunger strike, near-critical after 15 days

As the political prisoners’ hunger drags on into its third week, the risks to their health tick upwards with each passing day. The prisoners stopped eating food on Dec. 1, 2014 in protest against being held without charge or trial for "nearly" 4 years.

Relatives and members of the opposition media who visited these prisoners of opinion  this week at their prison infirmary, say these detainees are beginning to lose weight. Others say they appear weak, though alert.

"It shows you that this government is willing to let people die in detention rather than give them a fair trial. Our relatives have been deprived of life and liberty" said a family member.

Hunger-Strike in Ivory Coast

 In a volatile political terrain, where anger against Ouattara's regime is rampant and long-simmering political tensions dominate public debate, the Ivorian political prisoners' hunger strike, has emerged as a symbol of resistance for people of Ivory Coast whose lives have changed for the worse since President Ouattara came to power in April 2011. The hunger-strikers are now in critical condition near death in a prison infirmary after refusing food for more than 12 days. These political prisoners began a mass, open-ended hunger strike in a number of Ivorian jails on December 1, 2014 in protest against being held without charge or trial for "almost" 4 years.

Hunger Strike In IvoryCoast

More than 481 political prisoners and their spouses are currently observing an open-ended hunger strike in defense of basic human rights: The right not to be detained without charge or trial. 
These political prisoners began a mass, open-ended hunger strike in a number of Ivorian jails on Monday in protest against being held without charge or trial. Several  prisoners of opinions have been on hunger strike for more than 4 days and have been widely reported to be "near death.
The hunger strikers unanimously echoed  the hunger strike declaration of Tiananmen Square of June 1989, telling the local opposition media, "we are not in search of death, we are looking for real life". 

Hunger Strike

Wives of prisoners of opinion in Ivory Coast started a hunger strike Monday in front of Cathedrale Saint Andre, urging the government to free their spouses after "nearly" four years of incarceration without any formal charges brought against them. 

The protesters began gathering early Monday morning at Yopougon's main Cathedral, complaining that 400 political prisoners who remain imprisoned without trial, do not even know the charges against them.

"we have no other way when facing a broken government and a dictatorship , but to let go our bodily desires", said some of the protesters interviewed by the local opposition media.