The cases concern the following four individuals:

1. Mr Mustafa Seo, a Syrian national, 26, is a resident of Achrafieh, Karem al-Zaytoune, Beirut. Mr Seo is currently on trial.

2. Mr Kamal al-Nassan, a Syrian national, 29, living in Ain Aar, Mount Lebanon was arrested with his brother, Malek Al Nassan (no. 3 below). Mr al-Nassan is currently on trial.

3. Mr Malek al-Nassan, a Syrian national, 17, is a resident of Ain Aar, Mount Lebanon, was arrested with his brother Kalam al-Nassan (no. 2 above).

4. Mr Mohamed Taha, a Lebanese national, 25, is a resident in Bab al-Tabana (north of Lebanon).

Detention and torture of Mustafa Seo

After his arbitrary arrest by Internal Security forces on 20 March 2007 on "terrorism" charges, he suffered severe torture and mistreatment at that the hands of the Lebanese Information Branch. Mr Seo endured solitary confinement and incommunicado detention for 26 months at the Information Branch's Center in Beirut and their building at Roumieh Prison. He was transferred, several times between these two facilities. Of the 26 months spent in solitary and incommunicado detention, three and half were spent underground. He was then moved to the 2nd floor of the Juvenile Building of Roumieh Prison in May 2009 and then finally to the 3rd floor, where he again suffered ill-treatment and beatings at the hands of the Lebanese authorities.

Mr Seo's case is an archetypal example of the type of brutality and torture that goes on inside Lebanese prisons. Alkarama recently released a report in October 2009 entitled "Torture in Lebanon: Time to Break the Pattern", which documents a large number of similar cases and sheds light on the nature of torture in Lebanon.

Mr Seo is currently on trial. His family is still unable to visit him as prevented by Syrian Military Intelligence. Mr Seo suffers to this day from injuries due to the repeated beatings he has received.

Detention and torture of the al-Nassan brothers

On 26 February 2007 Mr Kamal al-Nassan and his brother Malek al-Nassan were arrested at their home in Mount Lebanon on allegations of terrorism. Both were taken to the Information Branch Center in Beirut and tortured.

Kalam al-Nassan suffered the worst of the two, and was held in solitary confinement and incommunicado detention for seven months at the Information Branch Center and the Information Branch building at Roumieh Prison (he was also continuously transferred between these two facilities). He spent 47 days underground at the Information Branch Center where he was tortured at length, the severity of which is much the same as that of Mustafa Seo. He is currently detained on the third floor of Building "B" in Roumieh Prison.

Malek al-Nassan, however, was officially acquitted and released on 6 September 2007, after spending a year in detention and suffering torture. After his acquittal he was transferred to the General Security Detention Center in Lebanon where he remained until 20 November 2007. He was then extradited to Syria where he was detained at the Palestine Branch of the Political Security Department until his release in April 2008.

Detention and torture of Mohammad Taha

His arrest on 9 April 2003 by Lebanese Military Intelligence led to his subsequent sentencing on 20 December 2003 to 12 years imprisonment on accusations of terrorism. He is currently detained on the 3rd floor of Building "B" in Roumieh Central Prison and throughout his detention has suffered various forms of torture. A major incident took place on 31 July 2009 when he was being transferred from his cell to the medical clinic (the Department of Physical Therapy). He was stopped by a gendarme who first insulted him and then without provocation savagely beat him. He was immediately returned to his cell and prevented from receiving his regular medical treatment or even a visit from a doctor to treat his injuries caused by the incident.

Torture in Lebanon, ad infinitum

Alkarama has been working extensively on the issue of torture in Lebanon and has documented numerous cases - these most recent four cases are a classic example of the extent to which torture is practice in Lebanese detention centers and prisons. Alkarama submitted these four cases to the Special Rapporteur on Torture on 27 October 2009 to put further putting pressure on the Lebanese authorities in order that they cease not only the torturing of the abovementioned individuals, but also the practice of torture in general.