The entrance to Roumieh prison, in Metn. (Credit: National News Agency)
Riots broke out Tuesday night at Roumieh prison (Metn, Mount Lebanon), one of Lebanon’s largest detention centers, after about 100 Syrian inmates were transferred from Roumieh to Syria in accordance with an agreement between the two countries.
According to reports in local media, prisoners set mattresses on fire in protest. Videos posted online show dozens of men gathered around a large fire inside the prison. Prisoners can also be heard banging on cell doors and shouting “Allahu Akbar” ("God is great").
The unrest comes as relatives of Lebanese Islamist inmates are calling for a general amnesty, with many detainees spending years behind bars awaiting trial. On Tuesday, Syrian authorities announced on Telegram that Lebanon would, on Wednesday, hand over 136 convicted Syrian prisoners so they can serve the remainder of their sentences in Syria.
The agreement between Lebanon and Syria, signed on Feb. 6 in Beirut, calls for the transfer of about 300 Syrian inmates currently held in Lebanon’s overcrowded prisons to Syria. It meets demands from Damascus, which has requested the repatriation of Syrian prisoners, as around 2,500 Syrians are detained in Lebanon, sometimes without trial. A judicial source told AFP that a total of 137 inmates were taken to the Masnaa border post "to be handed over to the Syrian authorities," including "106 convicts incarcerated at Roumieh and 31 others in Tripoli."
Sunni MP for Akkar, Ahmad Kheir, intervened Tuesday night to ease tensions at Roumieh, especially in building B. According to a statement from relatives of inmates in Lebanon, his intervention followed a call between several detainees and the MP. Kheir confirmed he is working with a group of parliamentarians to find comprehensive solutions for Lebanon’s prison crisis, regardless of nationality or religion. The statement notes that the proposed initiative aims to promote the adoption of a general amnesty law and reduce prison sentences. It also states that the lawmakers involved are holding consultations and meetings with various political figures to achieve this goal.
The judicial agreement between Lebanon and Syria only covers the transfer of inmates who have already been tried, and stipulates that those convicted of the most serious crimes, such as rape and murder, must have served more than ten years of their sentence in Lebanon. As a result, Syrian detainees awaiting trial are excluded from the agreement, even though Syria had initially requested their transfer. The agreement also provides for reciprocity for Lebanese nationals convicted in Syria and sets strict requirements, including written consent from the detainee and judicial documents confirming the conviction and sentence.
Inmates in Lebanese prisons often endure deplorable conditions resulting from chronic overcrowding and a lack of basic needs or access to healthcare. Many spend years behind bars awaiting trial. Roumieh Prison was designed to house 1,200 inmates. A 2023 human rights report said it was then holding about 4,000 prisoners, in precarious conditions often denounced by inmates’ relatives.
