Twelve foreign inmates who are claiming differential treatment started a hunger strike at the Paola prison yesterday, though it dwindled to two by the end of the day.

“People are stopping the strike because we are realising that this is not the way things are done in Malta.

“They [prison officials] came and took water and food from our cells and people got scared,” said inmate Joseph Feilazoo, who was one of the prisoners to stop striking yesterday.

A Home Affairs Ministry spokeswoman confirmed that officers removed food and water from the cells of the inmates to ensure those who claimed to be on hunger strike were actually striking.

She said that in the morning 12 inmates started the strike but by 1pm the number had dropped to two.

This was the second hunger strike by foreign inmates. On June 17, they had staged a 24-hour strike that was called off after the prison authorities assured them their concerns would be discussed.

The inmates resumed the strike yesterday because they did not receive any feedback.

We are all human beings and wish to be treated as such

The ministry spokeswoman said representatives from the ministry and the Corradino Correctional Facility were in discussions with the inmates who had two main demands: they wanted to be allowed to complete their prison term in their country of origin and they wanted the fines imposed by the court to be removed from their punishment.

If not paid, fines are converted into jail terms. Mr Feilazoo confirmed that there were discussions going on.

In a letter received by Times of Malta late on Sunday evening the inmates complained that many were still awaiting sentencing. They also complained about the efficiency of legal aid lawyers.

The inmates also said jail terms given for drug offences were too long and that in the time spent in jail they did not earn money, which meant they had nothing when they left jail.

“We are all human beings and wish to be treated as such… [when] a prisoner finishes his/her sentence, he or she will not have money to start a new life, which means the person is going out there to commit another crime,” they wrote.

The letter went on to list the names of 31 foreigners who were to take part in yesterday’s hunger strike. However, the ministry spokeswoman said the strike started off with just 12 people.