A group of suspected Islamist inmates rioted overnight Thursday over a decision to transfer one of the prisoners to another cell inside the facility, because he owed several prisoners up to $10,000, security sources told The Daily Star Friday.
About 60 inmates detained in Roumieh’s cellblock B staged a protest over the transfer of Mahmoud Abdo al-Hajj to the department of convicts, vowing further action if the prison warden doesn’t meet their demand, the sources said.
Inmates objected the transfer of al-Hajj because he owed money to several of them, up to $10,000, they added.
Although the police was able to contain riot, prisoners vowed to stage another protest later Friday.
Roumieh Prison, Lebanon’s largest detention facility, frequently witnesses riots and jailbreak attempts, the latest of which was foiled earlier this week, when authorities discovered an underground tunnel at the prison’s block D.
