On 5 June 2006 , an inmate of the Zahle prison set fire to the facility in protest against poor conditions, resulting in chaos and rioting.

Up to 250 inmates are held in the jailhouse in what local human rights activist say are unhealthy and overcrowded conditions.

Zahle jail was recently in the news when four young men from Universite Saint-Joseph’s Zahle campus were held in Zahle prison for a week on charges of making crude and harassing remarks on a Facebook group dedicated to a female student at the university.

One of the 4 students , Anthony Jleylati described his stay at the prison which lacked heating and was overcrowded as one of the worst prisons in Lebanon. “We had to stay together for protection. There were drug dealers and murders, and they offered us cocaine and other things. What’s more, we missed all of our exams”

Update : 11: PM

According to the prison authorities the 10 prisoners ( not 11) tricked the guards and were able to escape . 6 ( not 7) were re-arrested but the following 4 prisoners were able to steal a car and escape. The security forces are still looking for them

Ali Erwa Zoaiter -was arrested and sentenced for several crimes: Theft, drug trafficking, robbery gang formation, selling counterfeit currency and other crimes

Hassan Fayad Zoaiter - was arrested and sentenced for several crimes : Drug trafficking and counterfeiting.

Hussein Naif al Mawla - was arrested and sentenced for several crimes: Drug trafficking, theft, robbery, kidnapping, weapons trade, buying stolen goods.

Hamid Niazi Jaafar - was arrested and sentenced for several crimes: Drug trafficking and other offences

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