Lebanon - Latest Publications

LBN - News

Lebanon: UN Special Rapporteur on Torture updated on Tarek Rabaa's situation

LBN - News | 05 June 2013
images-stories-LEB_Tarek_Rabaa-200x134
Investigate torture allegations, release Tarek Rabaa pending trial

Tarek Rabaa, a Lebanese engineer detained since July 2010 on conspiracy charges, will again be brought before the military court next Friday, 7 June. Not only is he still detained without being found guilty close to three years after his arrest, but flaws such as the judiciary's failure to order investigations into the allegations of torture, which were raised repeatedly, cast doubt on the fairness of his trial. As his health situation continues to deteriorate, Alkarama and CLDH reiterate their calls to the Lebanese authorities to grant Tarek Rabaa his right to a fair trial and consider his immediate release pending trial. To support these demands, we informed the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture of Mr Rabaa's situation on 30 May 2013.

Lebanon: Two weeks of hunger strike for Mr. Tarek Rabaa

LBN - News | 15 May 2013
LEB_Tarek_Rabaa Human rights organizations demand his immediate release

Mr. Tarek Rabaa has been on hunger strike for 2 weeks. The undersigned organizations demand his immediate release pending trial, which would effectively end the excessive period of pre-trial detention for which he has been held. Furthermore, we are extremely concerned by the continuation of his trial in front of the military court as well as by the lack of investigation into the alleged torture he might have been subjected to, and that our organizations raised in a press release in 2011.

Lebanon : Imminent extradition of Syrian deserter following order from Military court of Beirut

LBN - News | 12 February 2013
Mohamad Hassan Tlass, a former officer of the Syrian Air Force Intelligence Services, was arrested by Lebanese security services on 6 December 2012. He reportedly defected from the Syrian army in August 2011 and is today facing imminent extradition to Syria following a decision issued on 4 February 2013 by the Beirut Military Court. If he is forcible returned, he risks being tortured and executed for desertion. Alkarama and the Lebanese Center for Human Rights (CLDH) submitted an urgent appeal to the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture regarding his case.

Lebanon: Risk of unfair trial for the Nahr Al Bared detainees

LBN - News | 07 February 2013
Following the events of Nahr Al Bared in 2007, several hundred persons were arrested on suspicion of belonging to, or having ties with, the Islamist group Fatah Al Islam. Six years after the incident, the Lebanese authorities have now announced the beginning of their trial in form of preliminary hearings for tomorrow, 8 February 2013. After this excessive period of pre-trial detention, during which many inmates report having been tortured, it is the Lebanese Judicial Council, a court of exception, who will hear their case. Alkarama calls on the Lebanese authorities to ensure that the defendant s' right to a fair trial are fully respected.

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 - 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