Indictment Issued in Roumieh Prison Torture Case

Military Examining Magistrate Judge Riyad Abou Ghida issued on Monday an indictment in the case of the beating of Islamist inmates at Roumieh prison.

Last month, State Commissioner to the Military Court Judge Saqr Saqr charged five guards for abusing the prisoners and referred them to Abou Ghida for questioning.

Abou Ghida then formally issued an order for their arrest and on Monday he indicted two of the guards for assault and battery, said LBCI TV.

The third was indicted for videotaping the abuse. The two others were released on bail, it said.

The five guards were arrested after online video clips made the rounds on social media, showing several of them beating the prisoners.

Roumieh is Lebanon's largest prison and has long been infamous for the poor conditions in some of its blocks, including overcrowding and harsh treatment.

G.K.

M.T.