Naharnet - Reshuffle of Officers at Roumieh Prison as Riots Resume - April 5, 2011

Authorities began a reshuffle on the level of officers and wardens in Roumieh prison after riots resumed by inmates over allegedly bad conditions and the sluggishness of the legal proceedings, An Nahar daily reported Tuesday. The changes came after reports that security officers at the prison had collaborated with the prisoners and smuggled mobile phones and drugs to them. Voice of Lebanon radio station (100.5) said that inmates are still detaining an Internal Security Forces member. It added that prisoners set fire to more blankets in building "B" at dawn Tuesday. But security sources told An Nahar that two wardens were held by prisoners. They said tension renewed in the prison after the same inmates who had started the mutiny over the weekend were prevented from taking part in the routine outing at 4:30 pm Monday. The Internal Security Council is scheduled to meet under Caretaker Interior Minister Ziad Baroud on Tuesday to discuss the Roumieh mutiny and the kidnapping of the seven Estonian tourists in the Bekaa Valley late last month. In other efforts aimed at finding a solution to the prison crisis, Caretaker Justice Minister Ibrahim Najjar held talks with State Prosecutor Saeed Mirza. Both men promised to bring standards in line with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which prohibits arbitrary detention. Najjar urged Speaker Nabih Berri to speed up a vote to amend article 108 of the penal code, which allows for the detention of suspects for an unspecified period. The interior ministry has said that it had been working to improve conditions at Roumieh for two years, and urged other ministries and the cabinet to follow suit by speeding up the trials process and providing finance. But some families of inmates are asking for amnesty. They resorted to blocking major roads in several Lebanese regions on Monday.