BAGHDAD (AP) – An Iraqi official says around 40 Iranians held in an Iraqi prison are on a hunger strike to demand that Tehran be permitted to review their cases.

Human Rights Commission lawyer Mohammed Radhi said Monday the strike has been peaceful since its start on Sunday. The commission is an arm of the Iraqi government.

The prisoners are being held in Nasiriyah, about 200 miles (320 kilometers) southeast of Baghdad. A police official says the prisoners have not been allowed to talk to the Iranian Embassy.

The official says the prisoners were convicted of illegally crossing the border to commit terrorist acts. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to release the information.

Iranian officials were not immediately available for comment.