Hunger strike

A hunger strike is a method of non-violent resistance in which participants fast as an act of political protest or to achieve a goal such as a policy change.

Guantanamo Bay hunger strikes

During the summer of 2005 the security detainees the United States is holding in their prison at the Guantanamo Bay Naval base, initiated two widespread hunger strikes.

Related Topics:
United States - Guantanamo Bay

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The first hunger strike ended on July 28, 2005, when prison authorities agreed to make concessions.

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According to some accounts half a dozen detainees were then close to death.

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According to some accounts so many detainees were being forced to receive intravenous rehydration that the prison's well-equipped infirmary was overwhelmed and detainees had to be transferred to the Naval hospital.

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According to human rights workers the prison authorities had a "waiver form" they called upon detainees to sign if they wanted to refuse intravenous rehydration. But the detainees have all been advised, by their lawyers, not to sign anything their lawyers haven't reviewed.

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One concession the American authorities acknowledge making was to supply the detainees with a bottle of clean water to drink with each meal.

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The detainees reported, to their lawyers, that the prison authorities had agreed that they would begin to treat them in a manner consistent with the Geneva Conventions. And when, a week later, it was obvious that the prison authorities were not abiding by their commitment, they initiated a second hunger strike in early August.

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One of the hunger strikers, 18 year old Omar Khadr, has told his lawyer that other triggers for the hunger strike include the detainees ongoing concerns that the guards are showing disrespect for their religion, including turning on loud fans, playing loud music, and whistling, to informally disrupt the detainee's prayer meetings. Khadr reports that the prison authorities are not honoring their obligation to broadcast the call to prayers five times a day, but rather only four times a day. Khadr reports that many of the detainees resent that the prison authorities are delegating female GIs to broadcast the call to prayer.

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DoD spokesman Lieutenant Commander Flex Plexico asserted on July 21, 2005 that only 50 detainees were involved in the first hunger strike. DoD spokesman Brad Blackner asserted on September 2, 2005 that 76 detainees were participating in the second hunger strike. Human-rights workers estimate that both hunger strikes have between 150 and 200 participants.

Related Topics:
Flex Plexico - Brad Blackner

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