sThese prisoners from New York State in the United States filed a lawsuit against the authorities, claiming that they wanted to watch the total eclipse that would be visible in the country.
According to Agence France-Presse, the prisoners cited religious reasons for going ahead with the operation, and said that their religious freedom would be violated if prison services continued to close the prison institution.
“Eclipses, such as the one that occurred on April 8, are considered by many religions to be special occasions that justify gathering, celebration, worship, and prayer.”reads the application submitted on March 29.
According to the document reported by Agence France-Presse, the prisoners “explicitly claimed that the April eclipse is a religious event.”
State services explained, in a statement published last week, that visits were prohibited during the event, in the area where the facilities are located under an electricity “siege” – and also stated that the facilities would be closed.
The latest document does not explain why the restrictions were imposed. New York is one of 11 states where the eclipse can be seen.
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