Lebanon - Latest Publications

Lebanon

Lebanon: UN Working Group calls for immediate release of woman inmate from Baabda prison

LBN - News | 24 January 2013
Baabda Prison
When Mrs Badria Abu Meri was arrested in May 2010, media reported that she had been taken into custody for her own protection although she was in fact summoned on alleged implication in a crime. Years later, she remains in Baabda prison – after being tortured and held without sentence for over 32 months. In November 2012, the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention found her deprivation of liberty to be arbitrary in its Opinion 44/2012 based on information submitted by Alkarama earlier in the year and recommends that she be released immediately.

Lebanon: Human Rights Organizations Demand the Lebanese authorities to put an end to Security Agencies' violations against foreigners

LBN - News | 18 October 2012
Illegal and racist practices against foreign workers or refugees in Lebanon are on the rise. The latest example in this regard took place on the evening of 7 October as members of the Lebanese Army raided the homes of 70 Syrian, Egyptian and Sudanese workers in Beirut in response to a complaint by some residents against these workers of "harassing the girls and disturbing the residents". The workers were beaten during the raid.

Lebanon: Human Rights Organizations urge the Lebanese authorities to stop referring civilians to the Military Court

LBN - News | 17 August 2012
Following the preliminary investigations with former Minister Michel Samaha, suspected of plotting terrorist attacks in Lebanon, carried out this past week, his case was referred to the Military Tribunal. ALEF, CLDH and Alkarama consider this to be a further case illustrating the worrying practice in Lebanon of deferring civilians before the Military Court system.

Lebanon: The authorities should guarantee independence for the investigation on the case of two Sunni clerics killed by the army

LBN - News | 08 August 2012
On 20 May, Ahmad Abdulwahed, a Sunni religious figure known for his political support of the Syrian opposition, and Mohammad al Mereb were shot dead by soldiers from the Lebanese Military at a check point at the entrance to Kwaikhat, northern Lebanon. This incident rekindled tensions in the north which were already shaken up by the recent violent clashes between supporters and opponents of the Syrian regime. In an attempt to appease public opinion, the authorities rushed to publicly declare the immediate opening of an investigation but more than two months later, the investigation has still not been opened. Alkarama asks for the Lebanese authorities to guarantee the independence and impartially of the investigations, ensuring that they be above any political considerations.

Lebanon: 3rd year of detention without trial of a female inmate in Baabda prison

LBN - News | 13 July 2012

When Mrs Badria Abu Meri was arrested in May 2010, media reported that she had been taken into custody for her own protection. Several weeks before the arrest, a mob lynched a man accused of murder in Mrs Abu Meri's hometown and, as many believed she had instigated the latter to carry out the gruesome homicide, it was said that she might be the object of further acts of self-administered justice. However, it is now apparent that she was in fact quite simply arrested and detained without any legal basis.

Lebanon - HR Instruments

International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR)

ICCPR: Accessed on 03.11.1972
Optional Protocol: No

State report: Overdue since 21.03.2001 (3rd)
Last concluding observations: 05.05.1997

Convention against Torture (CAT)

CAT: Accessed on 05.10.2000
Optional Protocol: Yes
Art. 20 (Confidential inquiry): Yes
Art. 22 (Individual communications): No

State report: Overdue since 03.11.2001 (1st)
Last concluding observations: N/A

International Convention for the Protection of all Persons from Enforced Disappearance (CED)

CED: Signed on 06.02.2007

Universal Periodic Review (UPR)

Last review: 11.2010 (1st cycle)
Next review: 2015 (2nd cycle)

National Human Rights Institution (NHRI)

No