Update 15/01 “Following the ‘encounter’ with the director of Vottem, five detainees were placed in solitary confinement and fifteen were transferred to other centres!!! The calm was restored!
Since the evening of Saturday 11 January, the tension has been high in the yellow wing of the Vottem retention centre.
It all started with arguments among detainees which the guards tried to solve with arbitrary confinements.
Sunday 12 January saw new arguments, disproportionate reactions of the guards, hunger strike threats by some of the detainees, and threats that the guards would ring the robocops who would ‘massacre’ them.
‘It’s war here Madam’.
Detainees complain about a complete lack of respect from the guards, about death threats against some of them, and they protest against the planned deportation of an Afghan.
An agreement was reached this evening: the promise to meet with the director on Monday! The tension remains electric.
Solidarity with the fighting detainees!
