HM Prison Maze However, the government immediately reverted to their previous stance, in the belief that the prisoners would not start another strike. Bobby Sands, the leader of the Provisional IRA prisoners, began a second action on 1 March 1981. Outside the prison, in a major publicity coup, Sands was nominated for Parliament and won the Fermanagh and South Tyrone by-election. But the British government still resisted and on 5 May, after 66 days on hunger strike, Sands died. More than 100,000 people attended Sands' funeral in Belfast. Another nine hunger strikers (members of both the IRA and the INLA) died by the
Hunger strike of former politically persecuted in Albania (2012) Hunger strike of former politically persecuted in Albania (2012) A hunger strike by former politically persecuted persons of Albania began on 21 September 2012 in Tirana involving 20 people persecuted during the communist years. The strike began for economic purposes, seeking the Albanian government to compensate them according to a law passed in 2007 entitling former political prisoners to 2,000 lek (11.5 euros) for each day they were in prison. Two strikers, Gjergj Ndreca (aged 51) and Lirak Bejko (47) set fire to themselves as a sign of protest against the negligence of state structures. According to doctors, Ndreca has