BEIRUT: Anti-riot police stormed a block in Lebanon’s largest prison Friday evening in a bid to end a riot by Islamist inmates who took several guards hostage to protest the prison’s strict regulations, a security source told The Daily Star.
After surrounding all entrances to Block D of Roumieh prison and issuing a warning to the prisoners, police units stormed the prison once negotiations hit a dead end. The operation continued till late Friday.
The riots began during the evening meal, after which inmates are usually confined to their cells for the night.
A number of prisoners in the newly rehabilitated Block D set their mattresses on fire, and a blaze spread throughout the second floor, prompting Civil Defense teams to intervene.
The inmates then escalated their riot by blocking all entrances and taking the guards hostage, the source said.
The riots come in response to the stricter regulations that the prison authorities have adopted to prevent the smuggling of drugs and weapons to inmates.
Interior Minister Nouhad Machnouk posted on his Twitter account that “the situation is under control and Roumieh prison will not return to its past chaos, whatever the price.”
The security source said the prisoners responsible for the riots were mostly Islamists who had been incarcerated in Roumieh’s notorious Block B building, which was emptied and shut down after a large-scale police operation in January.
Inmates had enjoyed relative autonomy in Block B and prevented security forces from entering.
After the clearing operation took place, television footage showed that prisoners had no cell doors and operated a barber shop and a coffee shop in Block B.
Footage also showed inmates on Block B had a large amount of electronic equipment, including TV sets and mobile phones.
Some of the prisoners are members of Islamist fundamentalist groups and had also been imposing Shariah law inside Block B, reports said.
Roumieh prison has been the scene of repetitive riots in past years, with inmates protesting crowded cells and slow trials.
The largest riot occurred in April 2011, when inmates set their beds on fire and broke down cell doors, in protest over subpar living conditions.
No comments:
Post a Comment