Prisoners in Hama Central Prison announced a new “peaceful” revolt in the prison Wednesday as a result of the regime's failure to release the agreed number of inmates following a recently brokered truce.
The page “Hama Central Prison prisoners” on Facebook said that the inmates were able to take control of a white door separating them from the police, while the regime cut off water inside the prison again.
The page reported the arrival of the Hama police commander to the prison with two deputies to negotiate with the prisoners and open a direct line of communication with the interior minister. Meanwhile, inmates refused to break off the revolt until 491 prisoners are released in accordance with the truce that was previously agreed.
The page reported that the negotiations were ongoing between the prisoners and the regime after the Hama police commander intervened, noting that “the prisoners and the police are divided only by a weak metal window and they are in danger every minute.”
About 800 inmates, most of them political prisoners, carried out a revolt inside the prison at the start of the month to prevent regime forces from transferring five prisoners to the Saidnaya prison for execution following a ruling issued against them in military trials.
Regime forces staged an unsuccessful attempt to storm the prison and take control, but were forced to agree to a deal to end the revolt which included halving the sentences of all the prisoners in Saidnaya, and releasing all those accused of terrorism in batches over a maximum period of four months.
The deal also stipulated that no prisoner would be returned to Saidnaya or any security branches and that mobile phones will remain with inmates, while food and electricity will be provided and water restored.
This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
