Roumieh Prisoner Stabs another Inmate to Death

The Internal Security Forces said on Tuesday that a Palestinian has stabbed to death a Lebanese inmate in Roumieh prison after accusing him of being the reason for his transfer to another cell.

A communique issued by the ISF general-directorate said the 25-year-old Palestinian inmate stabbed the Lebanese man in his neck and chest with a sharp object last Friday.

The Lebanese prisoner, who is 46 years old, was taken to hospital but he succumbed to his injuries, it said.

According to the ISF, the investigation concluded that the sharp object was an improvised weapon and had not been smuggled to the prison.

The prison's management seizes contraband and takes legal measures against violators during routine inspections of all cells, it said.

The overcrowding of prisons puts a lot of pressure on guards and creates tension among inmates, the communique added.

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.