A video of inmates demanding they be released from a Lebanese prison has been making rounds on social media. In the footage, the men threaten to hang themselves if they are not heard. Despite
previous hunger strikes, this is the first time a plea this shocking surfaces as a result of the
inhumane conditions they are forced to live in.
The Minister of Interior in Lebanon’s caretaker government Bassam Mawlawi previously revealed that approximately 75% of inmates in Lebanese prisons have not having been convicted as of yet. Left awaiting trials for years on end, prisoners often spend more time behind bars than what their sentencing eventually doles out.
Just last week, it was revealed that a ‘mysterious virus’ had resulted in the
death of three inmates being held in Roumieh prison, likely due to overcrowding and poor hygiene conditions as most of Lebanon’s prisons are poorly managed.
One of the inmates exclaimed: “Today, we either die or get released”.
The prison system is a mere example of the incompetency of the Lebanese government, as it has little to no care for the wellbeing of their citizens. For years, they’ve made numerous statements about possible reform, all of which remain empty.