Around 400 prisoners at Lebanon’s Roumieh Central Prison entered the 13th day of their strike on Friday, September 25, amid deteriorating health conditions among several participants and the transfer of some to hospitals in Beirut.
A spokesperson for the prisoners told Enab Baladi that one Syrian detainee was transferred to a hospital on the evening of Thursday, September 24, after his health deteriorated, bringing the number of critical cases among the strikers to 35.
The prisoners continue to refuse food and medication as their health and living conditions worsen, according to information received from inside the prison.
Appeal to Rights Organizations
On Friday, September 25, the prisoners appealed to human rights organizations through a banner raised from inside Roumieh Prison, calling on them to visit urgently and examine their health and living conditions.
The appeal coincided with a visit by a delegation from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to Building B at Roumieh Prison. The delegation met several striking prisoners and reviewed their conditions on the ground and their health situation, according to information received by Enab Baladi.
Transfers of striking prisoners to hospitals have increased in recent days as the strike continues and concerns grow over critical health cases among them.
Calls to Approve General Amnesty
At the same time, the Lebanese Initiative for General Amnesty called on Lebanese and international human rights organizations to exert pressure for the adoption of a general amnesty law.
The initiative described the law as a “humanitarian necessity” to address prison overcrowding and cases of perceived injustice and to protect human dignity. It warned that silence from the human rights community was increasing the suffering of prisoners and their families.
According to information received by Enab Baladi, the strike is linked to Lebanon’s Constitutional Council suspension of the recently adopted general amnesty and sentence reduction law following a challenge submitted by lawmakers from the Free Patriotic Movement.
Lebanese and Syrian prisoners are taking part in the strike, as calls continue for monitoring their health and humanitarian conditions inside Roumieh Prison.
Roumieh Prisoners’ Strike
Syrian prisoners at Roumieh Prison announced on September 13 that they were beginning an open-ended strike involving refusal of food and drink and abstention from medication, in protest against the suspension of Lebanon’s general amnesty law.
A statement issued by the prisoners and addressed to the public and officials said the strike included all detainees, including people with chronic illnesses such as heart disease, diabetes, and high blood pressure. The prisoners held the political parties they accused of obstructing the general amnesty process responsible for any threat to their lives.
The escalation came days after Lebanon’s parliament approved the general amnesty law, before the Constitutional Council suspended its implementation on September 10 following a challenge submitted by the Strong Lebanon bloc, headed by MP Gebran Bassil.
The suspension prevents prisoners from benefiting from the law’s provisions until the Constitutional Council rules on the challenge.
Strike Includes Food and Medication
In their statement, the prisoners said the strike was launched in protest against their continued detention and what they described as being deprived of returning to their families and communities. They said their case had become subject to political and partisan bargaining.
They noted that some of those participating in the strike suffer from chronic illnesses.
They also confirmed that they were refusing medication in addition to food and drink, an escalation carrying health risks, particularly for patients who depend on regular treatment.
The statement said years of prolonged detention had prevented some prisoners from following the lives of their families and raising their children, adding that some detainees had died while in prison.
Escalation After Amnesty Law Suspension
The strike was announced after a series of actions inside Roumieh Prison following the Constitutional Council’s decision to suspend the general amnesty law.
On September 11, Syrian prisoners in Building B at Roumieh held a protest against the challenge to the law. They conducted a collective prayer in the prison courtyard, raised banners, and chanted slogans related to the issue.
The protest was preceded by tensions inside the prison following the Constitutional Council’s decision. Videos circulated that were said to show protests and fires being set inside Roumieh, while prisoners chanted slogans against Gebran Bassil over the legal challenge.
Lebanon’s parliament had approved the general amnesty law in August before the Constitutional Council temporarily suspended its effect pending a ruling on the challenge within the legally specified period.