By Natalia Antelava
Roumieh focal Prison, Beirut

Magdi has useless 15 time taking place mortality row, to come representing his execution clothed in an airless, swarming prison cell.

The jail everyplace his living is rumored headed for stop is wrapped clothed in miles of cruel wire, surrounded via checkpoints plus suspended taking place acme of the mountain with the intention of overlooks the Mediterranean.

Roumieh Prison is Lebanon s principal high-security jail, notorious representing bloody riots plus terrible conditions, plus dwelling headed for a number of of the realm s a large amount perilous criminals.

But Magdi, a thin, greying man, says he not at all committed the murder he was emotional with, plus with the intention of the test with the intention of plunk him taking place mortality file was rushed plus unfair.

Over the years, he says, he has on paper countless writing headed for the the system beseeching them headed for reassess his case, except he not at all conventional a reply.

Then individual February day clothed in 2009, he unexpectedly had a opportunity headed for request his falsehood countenance headed for face, headed for a number of of the realm s a large amount chief officials.

"I was as a result nervous," Magdi recalls. "Just expect - the prosecutor general, the minister of the interior, far above the ground grade generals - they were every one proper here."

Magdi, the length of by his fellow inmates, was taking place the period although the officials were the guests of honour next to the hole of the Twelve annoyed Lebanese, a theatre games of a sort the Arab the human race has not at all seen before.

Role reversal

For two hours, seated immediately inches gone commencing the ad hoc stage, the council of Lebanon s administration listened because inmates questioned the realm s prudent system, talked concerning prison circumstances plus told own tales by means of their adaptation of Twelve annoyed Men, a games via Reginald Rose clothed in which a jury of 12 men meets headed for choose the fatality of a teenager who is accused of murder.

The deed was, the prisoners recall, a mind-boggling job reversal.

For Zeina Daccache, a fresh Lebanese performer plus manager by a passion representing drama therapy, it was too a valid triumph.

"The glitch was with the intention of no-one assumed clothed in the project, clothed in actuality every person inspiration I was crazy," she said.

Lebanese prisons are stopped up headed for the open plus the media, plus Zeina Daccache s plan of drama therapy was curved timetabled twice.

But eight months following living being second-hand she tenable funding commencing the EU she managed headed for advance right of entry headed for the jail.

Prison the system decided headed for become a previous prayer area hooked on an ad hoc theatre, plus presently the 200 prisoners who practical headed for obtain carve up clothed in the assignment began presence each day drama therapy sessions.

Within months of workshops plus games sessions the grouping shrank headed for 45 inmates by whom Zeina began running taking place the real play.

"I chosen Twelve annoyed Men for the reason that it s the just the thing games representing this situation. It gives the inmates a opportunity headed for annul roles, headed for be present the jury, which is therapy clothed in itself," she says.

The grouping was diverse. The crimes of the inmates ranged commencing drug industry headed for rape plus murder. The sentences diverse commencing a little time headed for life, plus mortality row.

Commitment

The solitary requisite representing contribution was vow - of which in attendance was plenty.

One of the inmates educated himself how headed for recite as a result he may possibly sign up the project, plus one more refused headed for resign regardless of staid wellbeing problems. Seated taking place benches clothed in their cruel line theatre, the inmates make clear with the intention of the raison d'?tre at the back of their enthusiasm is simple.

"Others ended exuberance of us representing future headed for do by Zeina, except I felt I unexpectedly had a raison d'?tre headed for come around positive clothed in the morning"
Zanelo
Drug dealer

"This is the in the beginning epoch I boast been treated because a being being," understood Mullah, who has been clothed in Roumieh representing 15 years.

"There is not anything representing us headed for perform here," adds 28-year-old Joseph. "There is thumbs down carrying out area, in attendance is thumbs down entertainment, in attendance is thumbs down appropriate food. It s immediately us jam-packed mutually clothed in the rooms."

Zanelo, a 60-year-old drug dealer, added: "Others ended exuberance of us representing future headed for do by Zeina, except I felt I unexpectedly had a raison d'?tre headed for come around positive clothed in the morning."

All of them articulate with the intention of clothed in individual mode before one more the assignment altered their life.

"After the premiere, I cried. representing the in the beginning epoch clothed in my life," says Hassan, a 30-year-old by blaring bottle green eyes, who is clothed in prison representing a brutal murder of two friends.

But the grouping bursts outdated laughing, at what time Abu Abdul, whose trimmed fuzz plus thick glasses makes him glare comparable a professor, launches hooked on a elongated tongue taking place how he has turn out to be a top man.

"It ended me move around my crimes," says Abu Abdul. "I worn headed for vend drugs plus build money, except I willpower not at all perform it once more at what time I acquire out."

His jail-mates laugh, evidently sceptical of Abu Abdul s aptitude headed for reform.

Call representing reform

But they are with the games headed for convene representing the reform of Lebanon s prison system. clothed in the monologues clothed in the games they distrust the self-same mode fair dealing at this point is done.

They request why the Lebanese the system perform not enforce the theory with the intention of allows prisoners headed for plea representing the first make available taking place justification of safe behaviour.

They increase the copy of elongated period pre-trial confinement by means of the real-life falsehood of a prisoner who has been jailed, exclusive of charges, representing nine years.

The Roumieh authorities, who were next to in the beginning sceptical concerning the project, are at this moment bursting of praise representing it. They articulate it brought unparalleled plus a great deal wanted thought commencing the administration clothed in Beirut.

The inmates articulate they lack the assignment headed for continue, except Zeina Daccache is to come headed for distinguish whether she bottle acquire the funding plus the permissions headed for transmit on.

And Magdi, the prisoner taking place the mortality row, is too to come - thumbs down longer representing an execution except a resolution taking place his future.

After the hole of the Twelve annoyed Lebanese, a number of officials, evidently stimulated via the play, went in the wings plus talked headed for him personally. He says they promised headed for glare hooked on his case.

Pictures via Dalia Khamissy