Algeria
Bahrain
Djibouti
Egypt
Iraq
Palestine/Israel
Jordan
Kuwait
Lebanon
Libya
Mauritania
Morocco
Oman
Qatar
Saudi Arabia
Sudan
Syria
Tunisia
United Arab Emirates
Yemen
Other Countries
Lebanon : Torture and risk of unfair trial; the ordeal of two Syrians
-
font size
decrease font size
increase font size
Jemaa Ahmad Massini and Alaeddine Moussa Ibrahim are two young Syrians living in Lebanon. They were arrested in February 2009 by agents of the internal security forces in Dora Street, North-East Beirut.
As they were held incommunicado, they might have been subjected to torture in order to elicit confessions. After eight consecutive days of ill-treatment and without any contact with the outside world or legal assistance, the two young men might have given up and sign documents that were presented to the Lebanese judiciary as confessions.
They were then transferred to Roumieh prison where they are still detained to date. After 52 months of arbitrary detention, they were finally officially charged and brought before a jurisdiction. They are however still awaiting trial.
Alkarama and the Lebanese Centre for Human Rights express their concern as their "confessions" extracted by the authorities could be used against them in court and lead to a severe verdict.
In this sense, a joint communication was sent to the competent UN bodies to ask the Lebanese authorities to put a definitive end to torture and impunity for their perpetrators. An impartial and thorough investigation into the acts Jemaa and Alaeddine were subjected to should be conducted by the authorities in addition to guarantee their trial is in line with international standards.
