Prison conditions

The Ambassador of Tunisia to Malta, wrote (May 23) that "the Embassy of Tunisia in Malta wishes to point out that access to free food is among the fundamental rights enjoyed by all prisoners in Tunisia, guaranteed by law and observed in practice".

Never mind the quality or quantity of the food. Or the disparity between law and practice in Tunisian prisons.

According to the Jurist human rights watch: "Prison conditions (in Tunisia) range from spartan to poor. Security forces arbitrarily arrest and detain persons. International observers have not been allowed to inspect the prisons. Lengthy pretrial detention and incommunicado detention continue to be problems. Prison officials often deny access to prisoners by their lawyers and family members".

I commend this newspaper whenever it gives coverage to Maltese prisoners in countries like Tunisia. The spotlight on our prisoners overseas, especially through an English language newspaper, puts pressure on foreign authorities to mitigate some of the excessive abuses to which these prisoners would otherwise be subjected.