Lebanon's Interior Minister Mohammed Fahmi issued a series of instructions for the protection of prisons including a decision to halt the transfer of prisoners and detainees to judicial departments. This comes within the framework of precautionary measures to limit the spread of the novel coronavirus.

Fahmi stressed that no cases have been registered so far in Lebanese prisons, adding that security personnel were asked to abide by the sanitary recommendations issued by the Ministry of Public Health and the World Health Organization (WHO).

The Interior Minister met on Wednesday with President Michel Aoun at the Baabda Palace.

Discussions touched on security and prison conditions, especially after recent developments in Roumieh Prison.

The meeting also tackled the urgent draft law, which was approved by the Cabinet on Wednesday, which aims to exempt convicts who have served their sentence and are still imprisoned for not paying their fines.

Fahmi underlined the need to provide decent healthcare and sanitization for all prisoners.

Roumieh prison has seen a wave of riots on Monday evening as inmates expressed concern over the spread of coronavirus and anger that the general amnesty law has not been passed yet. Security forces intervened to control the chaotic situation.