Convicts from Leova prison have a daily nutrition ratio of MDL 5, while the legislation requires a double amount

The Petition Committee will announce in February 2007 a report concerning the status of the convicts in Moldova. The Committee President, Paul Strutzescu, announced for Info-Prim Neo that the report will target the Government and other responsible institutions, and will seek to improve the imprisonment conditions in prisons of the country. Separate attention will address the correctional institution from the city of Leova, where 170 of the 466 convicts have declared a hunger strike at the beginning of August. According to the quoted source, on August 14 and 18 the Petition Committee has assembled and rallied at the 3rd detention center of Leova, where through direct contact with the prison officials and the convicts was assured that no single prisoner was sanctioned for the hunger strike. Also the convicts have brought to the attention of the Committee for the difficult imprisonment conditions: lack of drinking water, restrictions on postal parcels with food and on confidential meetings, inadequate nutrition, as well as physical and psychological pressure from the guards of the prison. According to the data from the Department of Imprisonment Institutions of Ministry of Justice, the daily nutrition ratio of a convict during the second trimester of 2006 was evaluated at MDL 6, 84, which represents 50% from the nutrition standards set by the normative acts in force. At the 3rd detention center from Leova, the daily nutrition ratio is even smaller and is only MDL 5. Furthermore, the prison has a capacity 3 times smaller than the present number of convicts, acknowledged the Petition Committee. The Petition Committee is an autonomous and independent institution, and its members act voluntary. If a convict refuses to consume food, the penitentiary principle is responsible to give the prisoner an individual audience and should request a written declaration that should be forwarded within 24 hours to the district attorney and to the Petition Committee. Until now the Committee has received 150 complaints. The prisoners of Leova detention center have started the hunger strike on August 14. The magistracy is leading an investigation to find the causes for the demonstration.