Youssef Kayed |
Alkarama has learned of the forced return of Mr Youssef Kayed from Bulgaria to Lebanon last Saturday, 27 November 2010, where he risks torture and ill-treatment at the hands of the Lebanese authorities.
Mr Kayed, 39 years old, and a mechanic, was living in Lebanon before leaving to seek refugee status in Europe after suffering persecution in Lebanon. While his first request for asylum in Bulgaria was rejected, Mr Kayed was in the process of appealing the decision in November 2010 on the basis that he would face torture and ill-treatment upon forced return to Lebanon. On 27 November 2010, without warning and before getting any decision concerning his appeal, Mr Kayed was returned to Lebanon alongside two other individuals.
On 1 November 2010, Alkarama submitted seven new cases of torture in Lebanon to the newly appointed Special Rapporteur on Torture Mr. Juan Méndez. These seven cases took place between 2006 and 2010. All of these allegations are related to very young victims: one was 17 at the time of the violation and all were under 25. The victims include individuals accused of links to terrorist cells, but also one charged with common criminal accusations.