Roumieh Prison, Lebanon's largest detention facility, located in the Metn region. (Credit: Marwan Assaf)
Lebanon's caretaker Prime Minister, Najib Mikati, has called for the swift appointment of a team tasked with inspecting Lebanese prisons, pending a parliamentary decision on a potential general amnesty law. This stance was expressed during a meeting at the Grand Serail, as the issue of prison overcrowding continues to surface, and Islamists in Lebanon intensify demands for a general amnesty following the fall of the Assad regime in Syria and the rise of a rebel coalition led by Islamist groups.
The committee proposed by Mikati is to include a judge from the Court of Cassation, an officer from the Internal Security Forces (ISF), and a representative of the Red Cross. The team would inspect prisons and monitor their conditions, according to a Serail statement issued after the meeting with caretaker Interior Minister Bassam Mawlawi and Justice Minister Henri Khoury.
Untried Detainees
Following the meeting, Khoury stated that discussions focused on "the situation of detainees and prisons in Lebanon, as well as the issue of detainees in Syria," adding that "measures will be taken in this regard." Regarding detainees held without trial, he said: "This issue is being addressed and closely monitored, and we hope it will soon be resolved."
A recent report by the Beirut Bar Association's Prison Commission identified 8,402 prisoners held in Lebanese jails, 83% of whom have not yet been tried.
For years, families of Islamist detainees imprisoned on charges of ‘terrorism’ have held regular demonstrations in Lebanon, particularly in Tripoli and Saida. They are demanding a general amnesty and the release of several Lebanese and Syrian prisoners, including religious figures accused of terrorist activities.
Among them is Sheikh Ahmad al-Assir, arrested in 2015 and sentenced to death for leading deadly clashes against the Lebanese army in Abra, a suburb of Saida, in 2013. In a video released last Thursday, Sheikh al-Assir urged Lebanese authorities to resolve the issue of Islamist detainees and called for "good neighborly relations" with Syria.
Since Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) ousted former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, the families of Islamist detainees have resumed their protests. The fall of the Syrian regime and the rise to power of an Islamist group in Syria have rekindled hopes for the release of prisoners.
The issue of a general amnesty is often sidelined by Lebanese authorities for political and sectarian reasons, as each community in Lebanon demands amnesty for members involved in various contentious cases.
