January 26, 2026
A number of Islamist detainees and prisoners in Roumieh Prison announced the beginning of a new phase of escalation, coinciding with the increasing state of anger inside the prisons. The name of Sheikh “Ahmed Al-Asir” has reappeared, amid calls to organize street protests next Friday.
In a video filmed inside Building B of Roumieh Prison, Sheikh Omar Al-Atrash spoke on behalf of hundreds of detainees and prisoners, and alongside him was Sheikh Ahmed Al-Assir and dozens of prisoners of both Lebanese and Syrian nationalities, announcing the start of a series of escalatory measures that begin with a hunger strike, in protest against what they described as injustice and the preference for selective justice over transitional justice.
This move comes in light of information indicating that Lebanon has agreed to find a solution to the issue of Syrian detainees, which has exacerbated the tension inside prisons, especially with the continued neglect and deterioration of legal and living conditions, in addition to the long period of detention and delayed trials.
In this context, a source from inside Roumieh prison stated that the hunger strike represents the first step after all hopes have been exhausted, warning of a greater escalation that could lead to an “explosion inside the prisons” if official neglect continues.
He also pointed out that the appearance of Sheikh “Ahmed Al-Asir” next to “Al-Atrash” carries “great significance.”
At the same time, informed sources confirmed that the state’s neglect of addressing the issue of the Lebanese detainees has become unacceptable, warning that “all forms of escalation are now on the table.”
The sources also revealed that preparations have begun to organize a movement in front of Riad Al-Solh Square next Friday in support of Lebanese prisoners and detainees.
