A group of female political prisoners in the Adra prison called for a hunger strike on July 1st in response to negligence of their cases and absence of approval of their respective trials. They announced it through a letter that was leaked to activists outside of the prison.

Adra, in the outskirsts of Damascus, is known for holding political prisoners and has been described by international media and human rights organizations as infamous.

A campaign was soon launched in solidarity with them to raise international awareness about the conditions of the Adra prison. "It is urgent to show international human rights organizations how these women are treated in there", one of the activists told Syria Untold.

Some of the women have been awaiting trial for more than six months, many of them denied their right to contact their families. They remain under indeterminate reclusion, with no information on their situation or the charges pressed against them. Among the prisoners are elderly women, pregnant and sick women whose health is deteriorating due to the inhumane conditions they are being put through. The number of inmates, as the letter highlights, increases by the day, making it urgent to address the situation imminently.

Through their letter, the female political prisoners of Adra urge the public prosecution of Counterterrorism Court to address their situation and approve their trials, to have their cases investigated and their rights respected.

Activists based in other countries have joined the hunger strike in solidarity with the detainees. Activist Rana al-Jundi  encouraged others to join it to the best of their abilities. "One day of hunger strike helps, joining us in Paris or Switzerland, where we plan on reaching international human rights organizations helps too", she said. "It´s the least we can do", another activist added. "Since we are not able to alleviate the detainees´ suffering, let´s at least try to make their voices heard."