"Religious significance"

Prisoners sue to see solar eclipse

Next Monday, a total solar eclipse will be visible in the USA - but many prisoners will miss this event. Six inmates at a prison in New York now want to fight in court to be allowed to witness the natural spectacle: They believe their fundamental right to live out their faith has been violated. One of the plaintiffs does not belong to any religion.

When the moon moves between the sun and the earth on April 8, the prisoners should actually be sitting in their cells. The state justice authority has ordered all prisons to be sealed off during the solar eclipse. However, some inmates currently serving a prison sentence in Woodbourne do not want to put up with this and are suing the authority. "A solar eclipse is a rare, natural phenomenon with great religious significance for many," the complaint states.

One of the plaintiffs is an atheist
The men are of different faiths. One is a Baptist, one a Muslim, one an Adventist, two belong to the Santería religion and one is an atheist. The lawsuit states that religious texts describe a phenomenon resembling a solar eclipse after both the crucifixion of Jesus and the death of the son of the Prophet Mohammed. They see the natural spectacle as an occasion for believers to "come together, to celebrate, to pray", the statement of claim explains. 

Some inmates at Woodbourne Prison (pictured) in the US state of New York did not shy away from suing to see the eclipse.(Bild: Medic18/Wikipedia „GNU Free Documentation License))

One of the plaintiffs - the atheist - had even already received special permission to view the eclipse with glasses provided by the state of New York. However, following an order from the judicial authorities, this was withdrawn. Four other plaintiffs had applied for a permit, which was denied in all cases. Another stated that he had never received a response to his application.

A spokesperson for the Justice Department confirmed that it is currently reviewing applications relating to the event, but would not provide further details. In mid-March, the authority ordered that prisoners should be allowed out on public holidays: All detainees must therefore remain in their cells from 2pm to 5pm. The total solar eclipse will be visible in New York at around 3.15 pm local time.

The last total solar eclipse was visible in the United States in 2017; the next but one will not take place until 2044.