The government presidency has requested the Ministry of Interior to conduct an "immediate and urgent investigation" into allegations concerning the deaths of prisoners due to a "new health situation" in Roumieh Central Prison. Reports concerning the causes of death of prisoners in the overcrowded facility, the largest prison in Lebanon, have varied due to the spread of a new disease. Some sources mentioned the deaths of three prisoners in Roumieh over the past three days, while a security source confirmed to "Asharq Al-Awsat" that two inmates died recently, one who had been in Al-Hayat Hospital for a month due to a health issue, and another who died suddenly in his cell from a heart failure.
The source pointed out that the prison administration is "conducting an inventory of the deaths that occurred in the past two years," and it is not ruled out that drug use and overdoses may have contributed to such cases. The source did not hide the fact that the situation for prisoners is dire, and certainly worse than that of the Lebanese people, who are suffering from a lack of food and healthcare.
The source stated: "There may be contraband in the hands of prisoners and detainees, especially drugs, and currently, there is difficulty in conducting searches and confiscating these items, which requires an opportune moment to prevent a situation of rebellion and chaos that would be difficult to control." It noted that prisoners are "waiting for an opportunity and reason to ignite rebellion, especially since the demand for general amnesty has been their priority for years, but this issue is not the government's priority at present."
A source in the government presidency told "Asharq Al-Awsat" that the families of the prisoners informed the Secretary-General of the Cabinet about the spread of a virus in the prisons that led to the deaths of two inmates a few days ago and a third on Friday. The source indicated that the presidency took the matter seriously and sent an urgent letter to the Minister of Interior to conduct an investigation and medical examination of the prisons where this virus is claimed to exist, asserting that the matter is now "in the hands of the Ministry of Interior and the prison administration to take urgent measures and verify the reported incidents and determine the causes of the three mentioned deaths."
Lebanon's prisons are experiencing massive overcrowding, with the number of inmates exceeding their capacity by three times. There are 25 Lebanese prisons, with a recent count showing there are 6,989 prisoners, including 5,391 in Roumieh Central Prison and others, along with 1,598 detainees in police stations, courthouses, and detention places associated with the Internal Security Forces. Notably, 40% of prisoners in Lebanon are non-Lebanese.
Demands are increasing for expedited issuance of sentences to alleviate the overcrowding crisis in prisons. Between the summer of 2021 and the summer of 2022, the Internal Security Forces had tasked a brigade with 250,000 transfers to courts, of which 60% were executed, while other assignments were stalled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, roadblocks, strikes by judges, breakdowns in equipment, and a lack of financial resources for repairs.
