Inmates of Dammam Prison declared a hunger strike

(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) - On 2 August 2011 , the inmates of Dammam Central Prison declared a hunger strike in protest of the poor , cruel and unusual prison conditions of the prison .The prisoners protested against overcrowding , lack of air-condition and the bad quality and the quantity of the food. Saudi prisons and jails generally do not meet internationally accepted standards . They are unsanitary, and not air-conditioned. Overcrowding is one of the conditions in Saudi prisons which is at the root of the generally inhumane treatment meted out to prisoners.Both the quality and the quantity of the food served in prisons leaves much to be desired and in some prisons the quantity of food is so inadequate that inmates resort to buying food from those cooking.Inmates slept on a bare floor; in some cases, they were provided with a pad, but no mattress. They had to supply their own blankets. There was little ventilation.Prisoners sometimes complained of difficulty in obtaining adequate medical treatment./129