Officials report riot at Lebanon's largest prison
BEIRUT, Lebanon (AP) - April 24, 2008 Hours after the riots began at Roumieh prison east of Beirut,
detainees were still in control of one building, surrounded by
security forces, the officials said on condition of anonymity
because they were not authorized to talk to the media.
About seven guards were being held hostage, they said.
More than 3,000 men are held at Roumieh, including four former
generals held in connection with the 2005 assassination of former
Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, and members of the al-Qaida-inspired
Fatah Islam militant group. The officials said neither the generals
nor the Fatah Islam members were near the area of the rioting.
Police Brig. Gen. Antoine Chakour was negotiating with
representatives of the detainees, who demanded that conditions be
improved and that their sentences be reduced.
Security reinforcements and riot police were sent to the prison,
which was built 40 years ago to hold 1,000 inmates, although more
than 3,000 are housed there.
The riots began about 5 p.m. when the prisoners attacked their
guards and took some of them captive, the officials said. Some of
the prisoners set their own clothes on fire, and black smoke
billowed from the building for some time.
The inmates who rioted were mainly Palestinians and some
Lebanese, they said.
In 1998, prisoners protesting overcrowded conditions at Roumieh
rioted and took five guards hostage. Seven people, including five
prisoners, were wounded when police stormed the prison and freed
the guards.
