About 20 inmates gave up their Christmas Day meal and went on a hunger strike to protest against having fewer privileges, the government confirmed yesterday.

The prisoners in Division 12 at Corradino Correctional Facility decided not to eat because they felt they were discriminated against through fewer visiting rights when compared to inmates in other divisions.

A government spokesman strongly denied the allegations of discrimination and said prisoners were all allowed the basic rights.

The spokesman said the law lays down that prisoners are allowed at least one visit a week: "That is all the prisoners should expect from the system. It is at the director's discretion to allow or grant any other privileges."

"There is no blanket measure for the divisions. Each prisoner is treated differently and it is always at the director's discretion," the spokesman said.

When the inmates of Division 12 started the protest just five out of 47 prisoners sat down for Christmas lunch. However, by the evening, another 10 prisoners changed their mind and decided to have dinner.

More prisoners changed their mind at lunchtime yesterday and a total of 22 gave in to their hunger pangs and ate - 25 inmates proved to have a stronger willpower. Sources said the prisoners refused to eat to complain over fewer visiting rights, because they felt that while inmates in other divisions were allowed five visits a week, they only had three.

They also protested over the different conditions such as not being allowed to buy from the canteen twice a week but only once.

The strike coincided with Archbishop Paul Cremona's visit to the prisoners yesterday to celebrate Mass.

When contacted the head of the Prison Board, Ivan Mifsud said he had just received an e-mail about the protest, adding that he would be looking into the matter. He said he could not attend the Archbishop's visit because he was told about it at short notice.