'Mysterious Virus' Threatens Lebanese Prisons

Roumieh prison (AP)
Roumieh prison (AP)
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'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.



Jumblatt Hands Over Progressive Socialist Party Arms to Lebanese Army

Former Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblatt (Reuters)
Former Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblatt (Reuters)
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Jumblatt Hands Over Progressive Socialist Party Arms to Lebanese Army

Former Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblatt (Reuters)
Former Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblatt (Reuters)

Lebanon’s veteran Druze leader Walid Jumblatt on Thursday called on the Iran-backed Hezbollah group to hand its weapons over to the state, saying arms must be exclusively under government control.

Speaking at a news conference in Beirut, the former head of the Progressive Socialist Party said, “Weapons should only be in the hands of the Lebanese state,” adding that the Israeli-occupied Shebaa Farms, a long-disputed area on the western slopes of Mount Hermon, are Syrian territory.

Jumblatt’s appeal comes amid growing international calls for Hezbollah to disarm and for the Lebanese government to implement its longstanding pledge—reiterated in its ministerial statement and by President Joseph Aoun during his swearing-in—to ensure that only state institutions bear arms.

His remarks also come as Washington renews its push to resolve files with Syria, including border demarcation, as part of wider regional realignments.

“There’s a new chapter unfolding in the Middle East,” Jumblatt said. “If any Lebanese or non-Lebanese party possesses weapons, I hope they will hand them over to the state in a proper manner.”

He described “the most valuable weapon for future generations” as being one of “memory”—urging the country to pass down stories of resistance against Israel and its collaborators rather than stockpiles of arms.

Jumblatt said he had recently informed the president of the presence of weapons in his hometown of Mukhtara and asked the relevant security agencies to take over the matter. The arms, collected gradually since the May 2008 clashes between Hezbollah and his party, were fully handed over more than three weeks ago.

The arsenal, he said, consisted of light and medium-grade weapons that had been centrally gathered over the years.

He noted that Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri—himself a close ally of Hezbollah—remained a “friend and ally,” but added: “The issue of weapons has no bearing on Israel’s withdrawal from Lebanon.”

Hezbollah has long justified its arsenal as essential to liberating the Shebaa Farms and Kfar Shouba Hills, areas Israel did not vacate during its 2000 withdrawal from south Lebanon. In recent years, the dispute has expanded to include 13 border points and the northern section of the village of Ghajar, which Israel annexed in 2022.

“Shebaa Farms are covered under UN Resolution 242. It is Syrian land occupied by Israel,” Jumblatt said.

He urged support for the Lebanese army and internal security forces, stressing that Israel still occupies territory and that several Lebanese villages remain destroyed.

He also called for the full implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which ended the 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah.

“In this round, Israel and the West have won with US backing,” he said. “But nothing lasts forever.”