Ammon News - AMMONNEWS - Inmates affiliated with Islamist movements in Suwaqa Prison have agreed to end their hunger strike after Brigadier General Waddah Hmoud, director of the Public Security Directorate (PSD) Correctional and Rehabilitation facilities' Department, stepped in to convince them to end their strike.

The majority of Islamist prisoners on strike in Juweideh prison also ended their strike, a security source told 'Ammon News' Monday evening.

Over 60 inmates affiliated with groups classified as illegal or terrorism-related at Juweidah and Suwaqa prisons had went on a hunger strike since last Wednesday in protest of their imprisonment conditions, which they considered 'inhumane.'

Relatives of a number of prisoners told 'Ammon News' that the prisoners began their hunger strike last Wednesday and will continue until the prison facilities improve their conditions and meet their demands.

On his part, Spokesperson of the Public Security Directorate (PSD), Major Muhammad Khatib, said on Saturday that Islamist prisoners go on hunger strikes "every now and then," some of whom abstain from food and drink, ,and some from drink only, yet noted that many usually break their strike.

He noted that the aim of such hunger strikes is to achieve certain purposes that violate the regulations of correctional and rehabilitation centers, such as increasing the time limit allowed for visitations, mixing with other prisoners, opening or merging cells, or putting all Islamist prisoners in the same cell.

Khatib explained that such demands cannot be met because they "unequivocally violate the special system regarding distribution of prisoners put by the Department of Correctional and Rehabilitation Centers."

Khatib noted that it is difficult to identify the numbers of prisoners on hunger strikes because as one goes on strike, another retracts. He explained that if a prisoner decides to go on strike, he must submit an "official request 72 hours after going on a hunger strike."

Khatib also denied that relatives of Islamist prisoners were denied visitation rights on Friday, noting that the "prisoners themselves had refused to see their relatives that day"..