The hunger strike initiated by inmates at Roumieh Central Prison has now entered its fifth consecutive day. Over 400 prisoners in Building "B" are still refusing food and medical supplies in protest against the suspension of the General Amnesty Law and the exceptional penalty reductions, which await a decision from Lebanon's Constitutional Council following a recent suspension due to MP Gebran Bassil and his parliamentary bloc's challenge.
In a recent update on the humanitarian conditions inside the prison, an inmate spokesperson reported noticeable fatigue among prisoners, especially the elderly. Several inmates have displayed signs of exhaustion, with one being transported to a hospital at 1 a.m. due to a severe health deterioration and low blood sugar levels. Despite these hardships, the spokesperson stated that inmate morale remains high, and their resolve to continue the strike is unwavering.
In a continuation of their humanitarian appeals, a poignant open letter from a group of Lebanese prisoners reached numerous journalists today. The message read:
"We, a group of Lebanese prisoners from various sects in several prisons, address this message to the Constitutional Council, our leaders, parties, media, and all Lebanese citizens.
Why are we punished for being Lebanese? Why release the Syrian prisoners before our eyes while leaving us in inhumane conditions where we die one by one?
The Syrian detainees are visited by their embassy, while we have no such representation. We have no issue with our fellow Syrian prisoners, as justice and fairness are rights for all. But where was Gebran Bassil when Syrian prisoners were repatriated with honor? Are we simply seen as easy targets for his vindictive actions and political maneuvering?
To the esteemed Constitutional Council, why allow yourselves to become a battleground for political disputes? Why let Bassil turn your institution from a national entity that embraces all Lebanese into a tool to crush what little hope remains for us in this country?
To the Lebanese media, since the amnesty law passed, five prisoners have died, including one Syrian and the rest Lebanese. The Syrian inmate's death filled newscasts and Syrian media platforms, becoming a major issue, while your Lebanese sons' deaths remained mere footnotes among a few desperate family pages. Has our death become so mundane that it does not even qualify as news? Must we seek Syrian media attention because we are seen as redundant in this nation?
Have we become foreigners in our own country? Are we so disregarded? We and our families are exhausted, scattered. If you lived just one day in these tombs, endured what we endure, you would know we dwell in hell's depths.
Exile us to deserts, throw us into the sea, send us anywhere and rid us of the death and agony we encounter at the hands of blood and political traders who grant themselves amnesty but deny it to us.
We are not all guilty or criminals; many of us languish for years without trial, unable to support ourselves with families that cannot provide for us, and cannot afford expensive legal and medical fees. Many of us see our nation treating foreigners with care while neglecting its own children.
When amnesty came, we felt Lebanon recognized us, considered us human, welcomed us back, and then Bassil attacked us, the weak. Is there no one in Lebanon to restrain Bassil?
If our grievances disturb you, do not read them. Continue your lives... and we will continue our dying."
Lebanese prisons have been experiencing significant unrest since the Constitutional Council suspended the General Amnesty Law. Thousands of Lebanese families remain in anticipation with their imprisoned loved ones, awaiting a decision on whether the council will accept or reject the appeal, amid pressing humanitarian and health realities and increasing mortality rates among detainees due to medical neglect and scarce healthcare.