Loyalty to Resistance Slams 'Torture, Opportunistic Stances' in Roumieh Row

Hizbullah's Loyalty to Resistance bloc strongly condemned on Thursday the reported torture at the Roumieh prison as well as what it described as the “cheap opportunistic stances” that accompanied the scandal.

The bloc “strongly condemns the violations of some members of the official security agencies and their use of torture tactics with prisoners, regardless of the charges,” it said in a statement issued after its periodic meeting.

“Punishment must be implemented through judicial verdicts so that it can take the form of penalization rather than vengeance,” the bloc added.

It stressed the need to “launch a serious probe into the violations to identify those involved in them and those who leaked the videos.”

Loyalty to Resistance also warned of “reckless responses and street protests” and attempts to “incite the public's sentiments,” slamming “the cheap opportunistic stances that took the abuses as an alibi to resort to sectarian incitement and threaten to partition the country.”

“These choices invoke the approach of civil war and the slogans that prevailed prior to the Taef Accord,” the bloc cautioned.

Arrest warrants have been issued against five Roumieh prison guards over their involvement in the abuse and torture of Islamist detainees and the filming and leaking of the videos that surfaced in recent days.

On Tuesday, Justice Minister Ashraf Rifi accused Hizbullah of leaking the footage to drive a wedge between him and Interior Minister Nouhad al-Mashnouq, allegations that were swiftly denied by the party.

“This campaign aims at targeting the moderate Sunnis, their unity and leadership,” said Rifi.

Pro-Hizbullah al-Akhbar newspaper accused the justice minister on Monday of leaking the video to harm al-Mashnouq, whom he reportedly sees as a moderate and not acting in favor of Roumieh prison's Islamists.

Separately, Loyalty to Resistance said “the violation of the principles of national accord is the main reason behind the growing political crisis, which is inflicting great damage on the state's structure and creating major injustice against all Lebanese components and citizens regardless of sect or region.”

The cabinet has been paralyzed since early June when Prime Minister Tammam Salam suspended the sessions over a dispute on the appointment of high-ranking security and military officials.

The parliament has also been paralyzed over a dispute between the rival MPs on the presidential elections.

Their rivalry has left Baabda Palace vacant since the expiry of President Michel Suleiman's term in May last year.

Y.R.

M.T.