Hunger strike

With imprisoned bank robber Nikos Romanos set to enter the 26th day of a hunger strike in protest at not being granted study furloughs, Justice Minister Haralambos Athanasiou was to meet party officials on Friday ahead of the scheduled submission to Parliament next Tuesday of a bill allowing inmates to study from prison.

After a court rejected an appeal by the hunger-striking imprisoned anarchist Nikos Romanos for study furloughs, Justice Minister Haralambos Athanasiou on Wednesday heralded legislative reform that would allow inmates to study while serving prison sentences.

As 21-year-old anarchist and convicted bank robber Nikos Romanos entered the 21st day of a hunger strike on Monday, protesting the authorities’ refusal to grant him furlough to study at a technical college, the government appeared uncertain how to react.

Iraklis Kostaris, a convicted member of the dismantled November 17 terrorist group, was on Friday transferred to the Thriasio Hospital in Elefsina, in a critical condition following three weeks on hunger strike.

Kostaris, 47, was moved from Attica’s high-security Korydallos Prison to the hospital on the orders of a cardiologist at the prison.

Romanian MP Aurelian Mihai, who has been on a hunger strike for eight days in a protest aimed at curbing consular taxes, was taken from the Parliament by ambulance on Wednesday to Bucharest Emergency University Hospital on his request, immediately after he had given a news conference to explain his protest.

A 32-year-old inmate of Domokos Prison in central Greece was killed and a second man seriously injured early on Friday when a brawl broke out between cellmates at the institution.

For reasons that remained unclear, the two cellmates argued before drawing makeshift knives on each other.

The second inmate was hospitalized with serious injuries sustained during the fight.

Conspiracy of the Cells of Fire, an urban guerrilla group that has seen a number of its members jailed, has claimed responsibility for an arson attack in the early hours of Wednesday on the car of Greek consul in Berlin, Aris Radiopoulos.

No one was injured in the attack, which destroyed the Greek envoy's car and another vehicle, both of which were parked in front of his residence.

Greek prison guards on Friday vowed to extend action being carried out in protest at understaffing across the country’s correctional facilities until July 1.

According to figures provided by unionists, who launched rolling work stoppages on Thursday, facilities in Greece have an average ratio of about one prison guard for every 500 inmates.

Over 3000 inmates at prisons in Greece continue their hunger strike over the poor living conditions.

The hunger strike started on Monday.

Some of the prisoners refuse to drink water, according to reports of the Bulgarian National Radio.

Dozens of Palestinian prisoners who had refused food for 62 days have suspended their hunger strike after reaching a deal with the Israel Prisons Service, their lawyer told AFP.