Inmates seize part of prison

2005-05-07 14:41

Sydney - Inmates seized part of a prison in Australia's island state of Tasmania on Saturday and threatened to begin chopping the fingers off several hostages unless authorities met their demands, according to media reports.

About 10 inmates at Risdon Prison in the state capital Hobart took one guard and three or four fellow prisoners hostage and were in control of a reception area, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) reported.

The state prison director, Graeme Barber, told ABC the prisoners' demands centered mainly on the quality of food at the facility.

But ABC said the rioters were also believed to be demanding the resignation of Barber and Tasmanian Attorney-General Judy Jackson over a series of complaints about prison conditions.

A former inmate of Risdon, Tony Bull, told the Australian Associated Press he was in contact by mobile phone with the prisoners leading the revolt.

"They have said that they're not messing about. If they don't start taking them seriously, they're going to start sending out a finger every hour," Bull was quoted as saying.

The Tasmanian government confirmed one prison officer was being held.

"One custodial officer was taken hostage and is being held by a number of prisoners in the prisoner reception area," a statement released by the government said.

"The prisoners have indicated the staff member is safe and they do not intend to harm him as long as no action is taken to regain control of the area.

"The rest of the prison is in the process of being locked down and the Assistant Director of Prisons, Greg Partridge, is leading negotiations."

Risden Prison houses Australia's worst mass murderer, Martin Bryant, who killed 35 people in a 1996 shooting spree in the Tasmanian town of Port Arthur.

- AFP