Greek prisoners end hunger strike after government promises to release 5,500 of them

21/11/2008

ATHENS, Greece -- Prison inmates ended their 18-day hunger strike Thursday (November 20th) after the government promised to release thousands of them next year. A panel representing the prisoners said they will begin eating again on Friday. The decision came after the justice ministry proposed draft legislation that envisions the early release of about 5,500 prisoners by April to alleviate overcrowding in detention facilities. Currently, there are 12,300 prisoners in a system with an official capacity below 8,300.

In other news Thursday, Bulgaria announced it would pardon about 3,300 prisoners, or 23% of all inmates, in a bid to reduce overcrowding. Justice Minister Miglena Tacheva says 12,000 inmates are behind bars in local prisons, three times more than capacity. (Dnevnik - 21/11/08; AP, ANA-MPA, Makfax, Nafhtemporiki, Dnevnik, AFP - 20/11/08)