GUANTANAMO HUNGER STRIKERS READY TO DIE FOR AL QUR'AN

Cuba, 20 Jumadil Awwal/31 March 2013 (MINA) – An attorney representing thirteen hunger striking prisoners at the United States’ infamous Guantanamo Bay prison in Cuba has said the inmates are prepared to die unless the US military stops disrespecting the Holy Qur’an.

“It’s the ultimate expression of desperation,” David Remes said on Saturday. “It’s a matter of personal autonomy… the detainees are determined to take it all the way unless the military stops searching their Qur’ans,” according to Press TV reports monitored by Mi’raj News Agency (MINA).

Remes said that the hunger strikers are determined to take it all the way unless there are changes to the protocols governing how the Qur’an is treated at the prison.

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He also said the prisoners have little faith in the jail’s new commander and do not trust the monitors from the International Committee of the Red Cross who visited them.

On Thursday, a group of lawyers stated in an emergency motion filed with a federal court in Washington that the Guantanamo guards had refused to provide drinking water to hunger strikers and kept camp temperature “extremely frigid” to break the strike.

The lawyers also said the lack of drinkable water had led to medical conditions affecting the kidneys, urinary system, and the stomach of the prisoners on strike.

About a hundred of Guantanamo inmates have been on a hunger strike since early February. They are demanding an end to their indefinite detention.

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Rights activists say several prisoners have lost between nine to 22 kilograms. They also accuse jail authorities of seeking to downplay the extent of the situation inside the detention camp.

More than 160 inmates have been kept at Guantanamo without charge since early 2000s.(T/P05/P03)

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)