Kakata prison inmates on hunger strike
Inmates at the Kakata Central Prison have gone on hunger strike in protest at their prolonged detention without trial. The inmates said their prolonged detention without trial was a gross violation of their right to justice.
They told the Liberia News Agency that some of them have been in detention without trial upon the orders of the 13th Judicial Circuit Court and Kakata Magisterial Courts, for over three years.
“We can no longer withstand this maltreatment, so we are on hunger strike to draw government’s attention to our problem,” they said. When the Liberia News Agency contacted the acting County Attorney of Margibi Wednesday evening at his office in Kakata, he confirmed the allegation of the inmates.
Attorney Isaac Livingstone George, however, said he was working along with the courts to come up with a tentative listing of those inmates who have been under detention beyond the required statutory period, without trial to be released from further detention.
He indicated that the final listing of inmates who have been under prolonged detention will be released on Monday next week, at which time they may have properly screened them before setting them free without prejudice to the state. He said most of the inmates currently under detention committed crimes ranging from aggravated assault, theft of property, armed robbery and rape.
