Jewish prisoner Norway again without Kosher food
Prison in Norway, not Ringerike prison. Photo AFP, Jonathan Nackstrand
Northern Europe
Felix Attia, a Jewish inmate in a Norwegian prison, must do without Kosher food again. During his imprisonment, his meals have been a continuous struggle.
When he was transferred from an Israeli detention centre to a Norwegian prison in 2021, the authorities in Norway assured him that he would have access to Kosher food, which is a requirement of his faith. However, in practice, acquiring Kosher meals turned out to be much more difficult than was promised, Vart Land writes.
And transfers to different prisons do not make it any easier. The first two prisons where he and another Jewish prisoner stayed were not very accommodating to their convictions. After that, Attia was moved to Bastøy prison. That was much better, he told Vart Land earlier. The Jewish inmate could go shopping and make his own food.
However, recently, Vart Land received information that Attia was transferred again; this time, he was moved to Ringerike prison. That was reported by the Cooperation Council for Faith and Life Societies, which has been on the case of the two men.
Hungry
The main problem for Attia is that food that has been prepared in a non-Kosher kitchen is unclean for him. In Bastøy prison, he received his own set of pans to prepare his food. However, this is not the case in Ringrike prison.
Therefore, Attia does not eat anything besides bananas, nougat, cornflakes, nuts and tuna. That means he is going hungry again.
The case has also reached the Equality and Discrimination Ombudsman because some argue that it raises questions about human rights and discrimination, Vart Land reports.
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