Day 17 of the Roumieh Prison Strike: Prisons Turn Into Execution Chairs!

Approximately 400 inmates at Roumieh prison are continuing their open-ended hunger strike for the seventeenth consecutive day, in protest against the suspension of the general amnesty law.

The prisoners' spokesperson reported that the number of critical cases has risen to 46 as of Tuesday noon, expressing growing anger among the inmates amidst what he described as the coldness with which officials handle the recurring scene of ambulances transporting their colleagues to hospitals.

In the same context, the hunger-striking prisoners at Roumieh prison warned of the worsening humanitarian crisis behind bars, stating in a leaked banner today that "prisons are turning into execution chairs," while simultaneously demanding an end to the "obstruction of the general amnesty law."

In a related development, a report issued by the (ACHR) center in Paris, taking a supportive human rights stance regarding the prisoners' demands, stated that the suspension of the general amnesty law has exacerbated the humanitarian and legal suffering of detainees.

The report indicated that addressing this issue should not be limited to the outcomes of the general amnesty law process, but requires a radical solution to the long legacy of legal and human rights violations within detention centers in Lebanon.

The center also called on the European Union and donor agencies to establish an independent oversight mechanism to monitor abuses and ensure accountability.