Prisons' General Chaplain: Roumieh Prison Security Cannot Invade Fatah al-Islam's Privacy

Prisons' General Chaplain Marwan Ghanem said that one storey in Roumieh prison occupied by Fatah al-Islam inmates is subject to clear privacy measures enforced by the inmates themselves which in return inhibits the security guards from invading their privacy, As Safir daily reported Saturday.

Commenting on the escape from Roumieh prison uncovered Friday, Ghanem stated in an interview to Voice of Lebanon radio (93.3) that the prison overcrowding has created a major problem that requires a solution.

He also called on the state to complete the trials of the detainees and provide a dignified stay for them at the prison.

Three Fatah al-Islam inmates – a Palestinian, a Syrian and an Algerian – managed to escape from Roumieh prison around a month ago, media reports said on Friday.

Although the internal security forces opened an investigation to clarify the circumstances and determine responsibilities, sources said that the process encounters difficulties and the investigators find it hard to "penetrate the coherent unity of Islamist detainees to get to the truth.”

In a phone call with As Safir, prisoners said that the third floor in Roumieh is isolated from the prison's security guards and that the inmates themselves do the headcount and send a copy of the names to the guards.

Lebanese prisons are crowded to almost twice their capacity and are dangerously neglected and mismanaged by the authorities, reports say.

State-run National News Agency identified the three prisoners as Palestinian national Mahmoud Awad Falah, 32, Syrian national Omar Mahmoud Othman, 26, and Algerian national Faisal Daoud Aqla, 31.

"The Fatah al-Islam escapees were on the 3rd floor of Ward B in Roumieh and the prison break happened around a month ago," MTV reported, quoting prisoners.

"Palestinian inmate Mahmoud Falah had a hearing session Friday and did not respond when prison guards called his name, which prompted them to conduct a prisoner count after which they found out that Falah and the Syrian and Algerian inmates were missing," MTV added.

It noted that Military Investigative Judge Dani al-Zhenni was scheduled to head to Roumieh to conduct the necessary investigations.

LBCI television earlier reported that “security forces have launched a search operation in a bid to capture three Fatah al-Islam inmates who escaped from Roumieh prison.”

On August 25, Roumieh prison guards thwarted an attempt by two former inmates to help a dangerous Fatah al-Islam militant flee.

Palestinians Wassim Qumboz and Mahmoud Abdul Qader were meeting with Yemeni Salim Saleh during visiting hours when a guard noticed they were carrying a fake identity card with Saleh’s photograph on it, NNA reported at the time.

Saleh, also known as Abu Turab, was immediately taken to another cell and the two Palestinians were arrested for questioning, it said.

According to the agency, Qumboz and Abdul Qader, who were former inmates in the same prison, admitted to faking an ID to help Saleh escape by claiming he is a visitor.

In a major prison break from Roumieh, five Fatah al-Islam inmates managed to escape on August 13, 2011.

The Nahr al-Bared Palestinian refugee camp in northern Lebanon was almost totally destroyed in 2007 during a months-long conflict between the Lebanese army and the al-Qaida-inspired Fatah al-Islam.

The fighting killed some 400 people, including 168 soldiers.