Syria detainees on hunger strike

TWENTY-FIVE Syrian refugees being held at the Menogia detention centre for migrants for nearly three months began a hunger strike on Monday to protest against their mistreatment.

According to an announcement released by the immigrant support group KISA yesterday, even though these refugees, by law, have the right to appeal to the supreme court with legal assistance, they are not informed of such rights.

“Even if they are aware of this right, they have no access to it, and they are also refused their right to apply for asylum as applications are not available at the centre,” the announcment said.

KISA accuses the centre of using psychological cruelty as leverage to make the detained sign a paper that they will voluntarily return to Syria.

“These people are constantly under surveillance and for a few days now, they have been held in a separate area from the others held at Menogia,” KISA’s director Doros Polycarpou said.

The refugees are also protesting that their visits are monitored by police officers. Non-officials must receive permission in writing from the chief of police for visitation rights.

“We need permission to go and see what is going on and this could be a way for them to cover-up what they are doing. Also the refugees are not allowed to use their mobile phones as the signal to the centre is disconnected, not enabling them to talk to people on the outside,” Polycarpou said.

Polycarpou said that while neither he nor other members of KISA have seen any indications of physical offence “some people who have come out of the centre have voiced that they were victims of physical violence”.

The announcement also claims that the Syrians are not given food for a whole day and only given water. They are also not allowed immediate medical care.

“When we asked why these people are being held we were told that they were caught working without a work permit,” Polycarpou said.

The Menogia detention centre members of staff were unable to comment on the strikes yesterday.

http://cyprus-mail.com/2013/06/27/syria-detainees-on-hunger-strike/