‘Legal Assistance’ assesses the dire conditions in Baabda women prison

The head of the Judicial Aid Committee at the Beirut Bar Association lawyer George Fiany headed a BBA delegation to the women’s prison in Baabda. The visit is the first step towards the implementation by the Bar of a project aimed at setting up legal aid centers within prisons in collaboration with the social associations operating in those prisons. Fiany told An Nahar newspaper that the Bar has delegated him last year to assess the legal needs of detainees, especially those incapable of hiring an attorney. These include people with special needs, senior citizens, patients among other cases. Fiany indicated however that the financial aspect of the project has not been settled. As for the choice of the Baabda prison for women to kick off the project, Fiany clarified that this came after many solicitations which the Committee received concerning the particularly dreadful conditions in that prison despite its few number of inmates. An Nahar noted that the prison houses some 88 women inmates divided on nearly 8 cells of which the largest has an area of some 20 square meters. Each cell accommodates 19 inmates, with less than half sleeping on beds and the rest on the floor. Furthermore, the cells contain a small but elevated opening that barely allows any sunlight in addition to the poor ventilation which encourages the spread of diseases. The newspaper indicated that the management of the prison was not providing the basic needs. Meals for example were offered in containers used for paint and there were no time for recreation. Moreover, the old prison building was part of Baabda’s state hospital and therefore is not equipped to accommodate prisoners. (An Nahar, 1 August 2015)