Lithuanian Prisoners Go On Hunger Strike to Protest HIV Outbreak

Nearly half of Lithuania's inmates -- 5,360 of the country's 11,000 prisoners -- began refusing meals on Tuesday morning at three of the largest prisons to demand better living conditions and treatment for those infected with HIV following an outbreak of the virus at one facility. Officials from the Interior Ministry began meeting with inmates later in the day. "The situation has not changed from the morning but it is under control," said ministry spokesperson Dainius Radzevicius. Inmates demanded better living conditions and that no prisoners be transferred from Alytus prison, where intravenous drug use infected 222 of 1,900 prisoners. During the talks, inmates additionally demanded that HIV-positive prisoners be released from prison as is done in cases with people facing terminal illnesses, Radzevicius said. The outbreak in Alytus nearly doubled Lithuania's number of known HIV cases to 576 in the country of 3.5 million.

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