“Death would be more dignifying.” This is a cry of desperation from within the Qoubbeh prison located in the Lebanese city of Tripoli. It is the largest correctional facility in northern Lebanon, reportedly holding regularly about 600 inmates.
Prisoners are living inhumanely behind the bars in often very crowded rooms and are reportedly deprived of basic human rights, such as the right to sanitation.
“The riot reflected the prisoners’ anxiety over the spread of the coronavirus inside the prison and sent a strong message to the government to expedite the approval of the general amnesty law before the situation gets out of control,” reported Asharq Al-Awsat.
Relatives of the inmates were also protesting outside the prison. As a result of the riot, several inmates and security guards were injured. A video from within the riot was shared online:
#Breaking: Riot underway in Lebanon’s Qoubbeh Prison in Tripoli.
— Timour Azhari (@timourazhari) April 7, 2020
This is the latest in a string of protests/riots that erupted since last month. Families of inmates say they the riots are tied to fears over #coronavirus, but many have long-demanded early release/amnesty. pic.twitter.com/ruMF3Iy13V
Since the beginning of the outbreak, riots have been breaking out in prisons all over Lebanon. Just a day before the Qoubbeh’s riots, inmates in a prison in Zahle attempted to escape by digging underground tunnels.
It looks like Melhem Khalaf’s major efforts haven’t been enough to end the ongoing disregard by the state for human lives inside the prisons.
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