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Lebanon’s Prisoners Call For General Amnesty to Prevent Catastrophe

Security forces raided Lebanon's notorious Roumieh prison, seen here in April 2006, after discovering that inmates were linked to a deadly bomb attack last week, security services said (AFP Photo/Ramzi Haidar)
Security forces raided Lebanon's notorious Roumieh prison, seen here in April 2006, after discovering that inmates were linked to a deadly bomb attack last week, security services said (AFP Photo/Ramzi Haidar)
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Lebanon’s Prisoners Call For General Amnesty to Prevent Catastrophe

Security forces raided Lebanon's notorious Roumieh prison, seen here in April 2006, after discovering that inmates were linked to a deadly bomb attack last week, security services said (AFP Photo/Ramzi Haidar)
Security forces raided Lebanon's notorious Roumieh prison, seen here in April 2006, after discovering that inmates were linked to a deadly bomb attack last week, security services said (AFP Photo/Ramzi Haidar)

Inmates of Lebanon's Roumieh prison (Northeast of Beirut) called on the concerned authorities to approve the General Amnesty Law, to avoid a health catastrophe that may be caused by the spread of the Corona virus among them.

In a statement on Sunday, the prisoners said that a large number of them suffered from “chronic pulmonary diseases and diabetes”, adding that there was no thermometer in prison, and the pharmacy did not provide masks or sterilizers.

They warned that they would begin a hunger strike in the coming days, if their demands were not met.

Under the same slogan, a number of families of prisoners gathered on the road leading to the Presidential Palace in Baabda, in parallel with the holding of the cabinet session, calling on President Michel Aoun and Prime Minister Hassan Diab for general amnesty for their children, for fear of the spread of the Corona virus in prisons in all regions.

In this regard, the head of the Human Rights Committee, MP Michel Moussa, called for “the distribution of prisoners in vacant government buildings.”

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Constitutional Path for Aoun’s Presidential Election in Lebanon

Lebanese Army Commander Gen. Joseph Aoun (Reuters)
Lebanese Army Commander Gen. Joseph Aoun (Reuters)
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Constitutional Path for Aoun’s Presidential Election in Lebanon

Lebanese Army Commander Gen. Joseph Aoun (Reuters)
Lebanese Army Commander Gen. Joseph Aoun (Reuters)

Gen. Joseph Aoun currently leads the race for Lebanon's presidency, but some warn his election could be unconstitutional because he holds a “Class A” position, requiring his resignation two years before running.
However, his supporters point to the 2008 election of Gen. Michel Suleiman, who was also army commander at the time, as a precedent. They argue the reasons given for Suleiman’s election should apply to Aoun as well.
At the time, Speaker Nabih Berri argued that the support of over 86 lawmakers for Suleiman made his election constitutional, as any constitutional amendment requires 86 votes.
MP Gebran Bassil, leader of the Free Patriotic Movement, continues to argue that Aoun’s election is unconstitutional under the current process.
He recently stated that constitutional amendments require a president, a functioning parliament, and a fully empowered government. The process also needs two steps: a two-thirds majority in the first vote and a three-quarters majority in the second.
Bassil’s argument is based on Articles 76 and 77 of the constitution, which say amendments can only be proposed by the president or parliament, but only during a regular session — which ended in December.
Dr. Paul Morcos, head of the “JUSTICIA” legal foundation in Beirut, told Asharq Al-Awsat that in 2008, parliament used Article 74 of the constitution to bypass the amendment to Article 49.
He explained that Gen. Suleiman’s election was considered an exception to the rule requiring military officials to resign six months before running for president, due to the presidential vacancy after President Emile Lahoud’s term ended in 2007.
Morcos added that the same reasoning could apply to Gen. Aoun’s potential election as president.