The Lebanese authorities should immediately cease harassment of Saadeddine Shatila, of the international human rights group Alkarama, for his work documenting torture by security forces, a group of eleven international and local groups said at a news conference today. The groups also criticized an emerging pattern of intimidation against human rights defenders who raise concerns about security agencies. They also called on the Lebanese judicial authorities to investigate the allegations of torture documented by Alkarama.

Saadeddine Shatila, Alkarama's representative in Lebanon, was held yesterday morning, 25 July 2011, for questioning by Lebanese military intelligence in Beirut. According to the summons which he received last Friday, he was questioned regarding certain "security issues", but was released later the same day after seven hours of interrogation, which mainly concerned his human rights work.