عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
Arab World

'Mysterious Virus' Threatens Lebanese Prisons

Roumieh prison (AP)
Roumieh prison (AP)
TT
20
TT

'Mysterious Virus' Threatens Lebanese Prisons

Roumieh prison (AP)
Roumieh prison (AP)

The Lebanese government asked the Ministry of Interior to “conduct an immediate and urgent investigation” into allegations that prisoners died due to an “emerging health condition” in Roumieh Central Prison.

Recent reports discussed the reason behind several deaths in the overcrowded central prison, the largest in Lebanon.

A security source confirmed to Asharq Al-Awsat the death of two prisoners in recent days, one of whom had been staying at al-Hayat Hospital for a month. The second died inside the prison after a cardiac arrest.

The source pointed out that the prison administration has reviewed the death cases over the years, noting that drug abuse and overdose could be the cause.

He noted that prisoners and detainees could obtain contraband, especially drugs, and it is difficult now to conduct searches and confiscation in prison cells.

According to the source, any search could lead to rebellion and chaos, making it difficult to control, adding that prisoners are waiting for the opportunity to create chaos.

A delegation of the families of the prison detainees visited the headquarters of the government, where they met the Secretary-General, Judge Mahmoud Makkieh.

They discussed issues related to the conditions of detainees and convicts in prisons, especially what is reported about a new health situation in Roumieh, which resulted in the death of several prisoners.

Following the meeting, Makkieh sent a letter to the Minister of Interior and Municipalities, Bassam Mawlawi, to conduct an immediate and urgent investigation into this matter and take the necessary measures to address the issue, if it is correct, as soon as possible.

A source told Asharq Al-Awsat that the families of the prisoners informed the Sec-Gen that a virus has spread in prisons, which led to the death of two prisoners a few days ago and a third on Friday.

The source stressed that the Ministry is now responsible for taking urgent measures, verifying the alleged facts, and determining the causes of the three deaths.

Lebanese prisons are overcrowded, given that the number of inmates is threefold their capacity.

Lebanon has 25 prisons, with 6,989 prisoners, 5,391 of whom are in Roumieh Central Prison, and about 40 percent of prisoners are not nationals.

Several officials and activists demand speeding up the issuance of sentences to alleviate the crisis of overcrowding in prisons.

Between the summer of 2021 and the summer of 2022, the Internal Security Forces was assigned with 250,000 transfer cases to courts, 60 percent of which were carried out. The remaining cases were not conducted due to the coronavirus pandemic, roadblocks, judges’ strikes, and lack of finances.

Most Viewed

 
Arab World

Heavy Rains Flood Khartoum Streets, Exposing Decomposed Bodies

A resident attempts to drain floodwaters outside home in Omdurman (Asharq Al-Awsat)
A resident attempts to drain floodwaters outside home in Omdurman (Asharq Al-Awsat)
TT
20
TT

Heavy Rains Flood Khartoum Streets, Exposing Decomposed Bodies

A resident attempts to drain floodwaters outside home in Omdurman (Asharq Al-Awsat)
A resident attempts to drain floodwaters outside home in Omdurman (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Torrential rains battered several parts of Sudan’s Khartoum state this week, flooding residential neighborhoods and streets, disrupting movement, and sweeping away war debris, including decomposed corpses believed to belong to paramilitary fighters.

The rainfall began as sanitation workers were carrying out maintenance on stormwater drains. But before completing their task, the downpour caught them off guard, forcing them to begin draining the water with basic tools already in use.

Local authorities said residents in the East Nile district reported seeing decomposed bodies swept into drainage canals. Officials suspect the corpses may be those of fighters from the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which controlled swathes of the capital during its year-long war with the Sudanese army.

The RSF had held large parts of Khartoum since conflict erupted on April 15, 2023. But by March this year, the army claimed to have regained full control of the city. Since then, thousands of displaced families have returned home, according to state authorities, with more returning each day.

This year’s rainy season arrives amid the devastation of war, which has crippled already fragile infrastructure, particularly flood drainage systems. Even before the conflict, seasonal rains often caused widespread destruction in Khartoum, damaging homes and public facilities and resulting in casualties.

Despite extensive water pooling in open areas, Sudan’s Civil Defense Authority reported no fatalities or property losses. “Water was drained naturally, without any intervention from Civil Defense teams,” said Major General Qureshi, deputy director of emergency operations, in remarks to Asharq Al-Awsat.

Qureshi added that his teams remain on high alert, as a precaution, although Nile water levels remain stable.

Residents attempted to clear water from their homes by removing weeds and waste blocking drainage channels.

“During the RSF's control of the city, we tried to dig small trenches to divert the rainwater toward the main drains,” said resident Mohamed Elias. “But the blocked drains caused water to stagnate for months, leading to insect infestations and disease.”

Although thousands have returned to Khartoum, the national government has not fully re-established itself in the capital, which it fled in favor of Port Sudan, a Red Sea city now serving as a temporary seat of power. Khartoum’s governor, Ahmed Othman, previously told Asharq Al-Awsat that the government’s return to the capital would be gradual.

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) said over one million displaced Sudanese have returned to their areas of origin across the country, including in Khartoum.