Inmates Riot at Jordanian Prison

AMMAN, Jordan (AP) - Three inmates at a Jordanian prison were killed Monday in riots that broke out over a move by authorities to segregate al-Qaida-linked militants from other convicts, police said.

Anti-riot police "brought order" to Muwaqqar Penitentiary three hours after the violence erupted, a police official said, without elaborating on how the riot was put down.

The official said three inmates died, apparently from smoke inhalation after rioters set fire to mattresses. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not allowed to speak to the press.

The riots began when wardens tried to move some non-militant inmates to other sections of the desert prison or to Jordan's nine other detention facilities in line with a police regulation introduced last week, the official said. It was not clear whether the riot was started by militants or other prisoners.

The regulation calls for separating convicts from detainees who are still on trial. It also divides the prison population according to the crime they committed.

Muwaqqar is east of Amman and houses hundreds of inmates, including militants - some of them convicted of al-Qaida terror plots in the U.S.-Arab ally.

A recent study released by the Jordan-based National Center for Human Rights warned that authorities must pay more attention to the "appalling" conditions of prisoners, which include overcrowded cells and lack of recreation facilities. It said some inmates went on hunger strikes to draw attention to their plight, but that the effort went unnoticed.
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