THE prisoners at the largest US prison in Afghanistan have refused to leave their cells for the past two weeks to shower or exercise to protest against their indefinite imprisonment.

The protest at Bagram, which has been going on since at least July 1, offers a rare glimpse inside a jail that is even more closed to the public than the one at Guantanamo Bay. Information about the protest came to light when the International Committee of the Red Cross told the families of several prisoners that scheduled video links and family visits were being cancelled.

Representatives of the Red Cross, which monitors treatment of prisoners and arranges the calls, last visited the jail on July 5, but inmates were unwilling to meet them.

The prisoners are refusing to leave their cells, but they are not engaging in hunger strikes or violence. Ramzi Kassem, a lawyer for a Yemeni held at Bagram, said prisoners are protesting being held indefinitely without trial or legal recourse. The US military declined to comment.

Unlike Guantanamo Bay, where prisoners have access to lawyers, the 620 prisoners at Bagram are not allowed to visit their lawyers. Afghan Government representatives are generally not allowed to visit or inspect the prison.