More than 50 senior figures from Saddam Hussein’s former regime have begun a hunger strike in their United States military jail in Baghdad, according to an Iraqi lawyer.
The group includes Tariq Aziz, the former deputy prime minister, and Taha Yassin Ramadan, a former vice-president, according to the lawyer, Badie Arief Izzat. Saddam, who is being kept in solitary confinement in a separate jail, is not involved in the protest.
However, the US military said some detainees were still eating snacks. ”It appears that some detainees have turned back some meals,” said Lieutenant Colonel Barry Johnson, spokesperson for detention operations. ”I’m told all have been at least snacking during the day.”
He said Saddam ”continued to take meals and has no change in his routine”.
Izzat, who represents the former deputy prime minister Aziz, said the protest began on Saturday morning. He was told about it by a fellow lawyer who met Taha Yassin Ramadan in the jail on Sunday.
The strike was in protest at what the prisoners said was bad treatment and enforced solitary confinement, he said. They were also opposed to being handed over to the Iraqi government for trial. ”Instead they want a trial in an international court,” Izzat said.
Those involved included 52 of the prisoners on America’s 55 most-wanted list of government, military and security officials from the former regime.
Izzat said the prisoners had been asked to testify against Saddam but had refused. ”They offered Taha Yassin Ramadan that if he was cooperative they would give him a job in the new government. He said no,” he said. – Guardian Unlimited Â