REPORT: LBCI reveals details behind Ghassan al-Qandaqli's death

The Government Commissioner to the Military Court, Judge Sakr Sakr sentenced the “Emir” of the Islamist detainees in Roumieh prison, Mohammad Youssef aka “Abu al-Walid” to death on charges of killing Palestinian inmate Ghassan al-Qandaqli as per item 549 of sanctions.        

This verdict followed the first ruling issued against 8 detainees in Roumieh, an inmate and two ISF members identified as:                     

- Salim Saleh aka Abou Tourab               

- Bilal Khoder Ibrahim aka Abu Obeida                 

- Ibrahim Baydoun                 

- Walid Farah                             

- Abdel Salam Abdel Malek                         

- Amer Jasem                   

- Boghos Torrissian                           

- 2 members of the security forces on charges of negligence            

Sakr referred the case to First Military Investigation Judge Riyad Abu Ghida who in turn, submitted it to the Military Investigation Judge, Fadi Sawan.        

In details, a prisoner, accompanied by 2 others, followed Ghassan al-Qandaqli to the restroom, snatched his scarf, and choked him with it.                       

One of the 2 other prisoners held Qandaqli's legs while the 3rd was watching.              

The one who choked Qandaqli to death, asked the other inmates to hang him in the restroom.      

In this context, legal medical doctors assured that Qandaqli did not commit suicide, but died due to asphyxiation.

What disputes the allegation of Qandaqli's supposed suicide is that his neck was not broken and marks of the scarf were obvious.         

Recent investigations in the Roumieh prison show that there are repetitive escape attempts sought by the Islamist detainees of Fatah al-Islam, and confirm that they are beating other prisoners and taking control over the security forces since there is no official enumeration of prisoners on the 3rd floor.     

Investigations also showed that security forces were not able to investigate with all the wanted prisoners, but Fatah al-Islam prisoners handed over some of the inmates.                     

This report unveiled another confidential minute issued by late Brigadier General Wissam al-Hassan on the 17th of May 2012 whereby he mentioned the dangerous situation in the Roumieh prison and mainly in Bloc B and added that prisoners are applying their own disciplinary system on other inmates and security forces who fail to comply with their demands.


To watch the full LBCI report please click on the video above