1987. szeptember (101-111. szám) / HU_BFL_XIV_47_2
-MUMtMllMN í§) OSWftftEBjJy,jf> 24/0 Littla Rw»»ell Stre«t, LONDONI, WC i • Ul. Of-4*0 •< 1« • G. kra$*4 108/1987 (E) 20th September, 1987 Olga Diószegi's Report On The Bydgoszcz Hunger Strike On Sunday September 20 the week long hunger strike, in aid of imprisoned Hungárián, Polish and Czech conscientious objectors, ended in Bydgoszcz in Poland. The hunger strike was begun on September 13 by 42 activists in the Polish pacifist movement "Freedom and Peace". The protesters collected about 2000 signatures in support of their demands and sent a letter to the Hungárián embassy in Warsaw on Zsolt Keszthelyi's behalf. On September 18 Olga Diószegi, a 24 year old student of Hungárián and English at Szeged University, joined the hunger strike. On Monday she returned to Budapest and gave a telephoné interview to the "Hungárián October Information Centre". Olga Diószegi reported that she had first heard about the strike in the middle of the week from a western rádió news report. She travelled to Budapest and there discovered - as she had earlier believed - that the protest was alsó in aid of Zsolt Keszthelyi. She flew to Warsaw on Friday morning and from there, with somé difficulty - without a proper train ticket - she took an express train to Bydgoszcz. Everybody in the town already knew about the strike, and she was soon taken to the church "where the hunger strike was taking piacé". The protesters were holding it in the basement of the Andzej Bobola Jesuit church. Diószegi, the only foreigner, was received very warmly. Two of Keszthelyi's Polish friends showed her underground publications which had photos and articles about Zsolt Keszthelyi. The hunger strikers both mén and women - came from all parts of the country: Wroclaw, Gdansk and Warsaw. The majority were between 20 and 30 years old bút there was a 16 year old boy and a 40 year old mán too. It was cold in the cellar, many became ill, bút a good atmosphere prevailed. Altogether 82 took part in the strike and many telegrams arrived expressing solidarity with it. The event was originally intended to protest fór the release of all concientous objectors, bút it later Iáid particular emphasis on the plights of the Poles Pjótr Rózyczki and Oskar Kasparek, the Hungárián Zsolt Keszthelyi and a Czech conscientious objector. During the strike somé people went intő the town fór a walk, most of them were searched and taken in, they were fined 19 000 zloty by the Polish Police. On Saturday night the strikers organized a discussion and debate with participants and local leaders of Solidarity and the "Freedom and Peace" organization. On Sunday prayers were said in the morning mass fór the conscientious objectors, who, as the priest said, wished to live in a different way from their fathers. The hunger strike representatives announced to the congregation that the protest action was over. Afterwards about 150 of the assembly went down intő the cellar and took tea and food to those there. Many discussions began and Olga Diószegi was asked why she had joined them. Diószegi spoke about Zsolt Keszthelyi's present situation in English. Keszthelyi is in Márianosztra prison, he shares a cell with criminals somé of them murderers. There is an unspoken agreement between them and IQ
