The death of 14-year-old Syrian detainee Muhannad Muhammad al-Ahmad at Lebanon’s Roumieh Juvenile Detention Centre—known locally as “al-Warwar”—has ignited widespread condemnation from human rights advocates, exposing deep flaws in the country’s juvenile justice system. Detained for three months, al-Ahmad died on 29 September. While official reports cite sudden cardiac and respiratory arrest, his family alleges brutal torture, and prison leaks suggest suicide. These conflicting accounts have fueled demands for a transparent investigation into what rights groups describe as a “human tragedy”.
Al-Ahmad’s father told the Syrian Detainees News Agency in Lebanon (SDNAL) on 1 October that his son had lived in Beirut and was arrested three months earlier without family notification. “My son was detained for six months before when he was even younger, and he never attempted suicide. How could he kill himself this time? I have no doubt he was murdered inside the prison,” he said. He voiced disbelief that the incident occurred in a facility designated for minors and questioned why his son had been denied the standard phone access afforded to other inmates.
Al-Ahmad’s brother, Louay, who was initially detained alongside him before being transferred to central Roumieh Prison, corroborated the family’s claims to SDNAL. “Muhannad was in good health when arrested. We were both tortured and beaten by security forces before they separated us,” he said, noting that contact was completely cut off until news of his brother’s death emerged.
Conflicting Narratives: Official Report vs Family Testimony
Lebanon’s Internal Security Forces (ISF) have yet to issue an official statement days after the death. However, a preliminary medical report obtained by a relative attributes the death to “sudden cardiac and pulmonary arrest” and states that doctors attempted resuscitation without success. A forensic examination at Beirut’s Al-Hayat Hospital, reviewed by Enab Baladi, reportedly found no signs of physical violence.
Louay al-Ahmad disputes this, saying he saw “blue bruises on the neck and shoulders, and bloodstains on the body”, dismissing the natural death narrative. The family has refused to claim the body pending an independent forensic review. SDNAL, citing unnamed security sources, reported that the boy “committed suicide in his cell”, without providing a motive or further details. SDNAL describes itself as a media outlet dedicated to amplifying the voices of Syrian detainees in Lebanese prisons.
Systemic Failures in Juvenile Detention
Amira Sakr, president of Lebanon’s Union for the Protection of Juveniles, called the death “an undeniable humanitarian catastrophe” in an interview with Enab Baladi. She highlighted al-Ahmad’s transfers between juvenile facilities—from a specialist oversight unit to Roumieh’s juvenile wing, and finally to the new al-Warwar center—over his three-month detention. Despite the center’s modern infrastructure, she stressed, “Bricks don’t replace people.” She called for staffing with educational, psychological and social specialists to address the root causes of such tragedies.
Mohamad Sablooh, director of Lebanon’s Cedar Centre for Legal Studies and a migrant rights advocate, echoed these concerns. Speaking to Enab Baladi, he said the case raised “major question marks” about the detention and treatment of minors. Detained on theft charges involving cables, al-Ahmad had no family contact, endured beatings and received no psychological follow-up or fair trial. “It’s implausible for a 14-year-old to commit suicide in a supposedly world-class facility if treated humanely with mental health support,” Sablooh said. He intends to represent the family in a lawsuit against the prison administration, holding the Interior Ministry accountable for its 48-hour silence after the incident.
Sablooh condemned Lebanon’s judiciary as “negligent and sometimes conscienceless”, accusing it of overlooking torture under the pretext of blackmail or political expediency. “We leaked the news of this Syrian minor’s death, and to date, no official clarification has come. We rejected the initial forensic report and requested a second at the family’s behest,” he added.
Psychological and Social Care Crisis
Sakr highlighted the fragile mental state of juveniles at al-Warwar, worsened by prolonged detention and uncertainty over trial or release dates. A centre social worker had observed al-Ahmad’s distress and referred him to a hospital on 9 September for medication, but the absence of daily qualified psychological monitoring hindered his recovery. “These children ask heartbreaking questions daily: ‘How long will I stay? Why can’t I see my family? When will I get out?’ This psychological turmoil is part of their daily suffering,” she said.
Sakr outlined urgent reforms, including:
- Separating juvenile cases from adult files to prevent session delays
- Hiring three additional social delegates for closer case monitoring
- Appointing a licensed in-house psychologist for daily support
- Expediting court hearings
- Tracking detainees’ family circumstances and promoting parental acceptance over abandonment
She lamented restrictions on parental visits despite a public prosecutor’s memo permitting them. While citing “success stories” in alternative measures, she decried ongoing barriers. “What happened at al-Warwar reminds us we’re losing tormented young lives behind bars, stigmatized by society and forsaken by families,” Sakr said. She urged the system and society to “embrace with awareness and open hearts the dignity of these children who’ve lost faith in love, safety, law and justice.”
A Culture of Torture and Neglect
Sablooh criticized what he called an “entrenched culture” among Lebanese security forces of treating detainees—particularly minors—as societal enemies rather than children in need of rehabilitation. “Deprived of basic rights like family contact or mental health care, exposure to torture and harsh treatment naturally leads to suicidal thoughts,” he said. Lebanon’s Juvenile Protection Law mandates minimum standards, yet reality diverges sharply. “Prisons should be centres of reform and rehabilitation, not factories producing criminals. Detainees are treated as numbers, not humans needing care, food and training.”
He called on the interior and justice ministers to spend a night inside the prisons to witness conditions first-hand, warning of a potential “social explosion” if unaddressed. Sablooh rejected official cover-ups labelling deaths as heart attacks or respiratory failures, insisting al-Ahmad’s case demands a transparent probe and accountability to prevent recurrence.
The death joins a series of Syrian detainee fatalities in Lebanese prisons from medical neglect, torture, suicide or unexplained causes, according to rights organizations. Estimates suggest around 2,000 Syrian detainees are currently held in Lebanon, more than 80% without trial, enduring conditions described as “inhumane” in Arab and international reports.
This article was edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
