The Lebanese Prisoners' Rights Observatory in Beirut announced in a statement that while thousands of Lebanese families await President Joseph Aoun's signature on the recently passed general amnesty law by the Parliament, a new death incident shook Roumieh Prison east of Beirut on Saturday. Riots erupted behind bars as a wave of anger swept through the inmates, expressing their outrage over the death of a detainee from Building 'C'.
Attorney Mohamed Sablooh revealed on his Facebook account that a new detainee died in Roumieh Prison on Saturday due to the failure to transfer him immediately to the hospital for necessary treatment. He wrote: 'While the President contemplates signing the amnesty law, an inmate in Building 'C' of Roumieh Prison passed away, left without being taken to the hospital for medical care. His fellow inmates tried to save him, but to no avail.'
According to information obtained by the 'Lebanese Prisoners' Rights Observatory', it was found that the deceased inmate was a Lebanese national in his thirties and did not suffer from serious illnesses prior to his detention....
The statement noted that an officer is currently under investigation, and the Public Prosecution has initiated a follow-up on the incident. Meanwhile, no official statement has been released by the prison administration or the General Directorate of Internal Security Forces.
As the public and rights groups await the forensic report and the Interior Ministry’s clarification of the circumstances surrounding the death, calls for President Joseph Aoun to sign the ‘General Amnesty’ law are mounting, which many see as a first step towards resolving the country's prison crisis.