21 prisoners on hunger strike in Oman's Samail jail 

(MENAFN - Muscat Daily) Six representatives of some prisoners in Samail Central Jail for illegal gatherings' in Qurm in June 2012 on Sunday met chairman of the Supreme Court, Sheikh Ishaq al Busaidi, at the Supreme Court.

They requested that the court at the earliest announce its decison on the case wherein the verdict of the Primary Court was upheld by the Muscat Court of Appeal on December 12.

On Monday, a letter requesting an early decision was delivered to the Supreme Court by a relative of an accused.

Earlier, family members and lawyers of the 17 held in Samail Central Jail, on charges of lse majest and illegal gathering said that some of the prisoners began a hunger strike on Saturday, calling for a quick decision from the Supreme Court in their appeals.

Yaqoub al Harthi, a defence lawyer for some of the accused in the illegal gathering case, said, ''I received a call on Saturday from one of the prisoners jailed on lse majest charges saying that all the 17 prisoners who signed on a statement of planning hunger strike on February 6 started their hunger strike on Saturday.''

The wife of another prisoner said that her husband told her on Saturday that 17 prisoners are on hunger strike since Saturday.

Harthi said four other prisoners had joined the strike on Sunday.

Khalifa al Hinai, another defence lawyer for five of those jailed for illegal gathering said that so far the Supreme Court has not replied to the appeals presented in the gathering ca