Mounting violations against Syrian detainees in Lebanon: report

(Zaman Al Wasl)- A legal report issued this week has shed the light on the mounting abuses against the Syrian detainees inside the Lebanese prisons.

The sentences issued by the Lebanese Military Court against Syrian detainees are clearly and unequivocally violates the most basic conditions and standards of trials according to international laws and conventions.

The report was prepared by Moutasem Haj Ibrahim, the lawyer of legal sector of “ National Liberation Movement”.

The report mentioned that the torture and humiliation of Syrians in Lebanese prisons is a violation of the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment Of 1989, which brought torture to the point of a crime against humanity when practiced in general and in a systematic and clear violation.

Article 3 states that "Any person arrested or imprisoned under the conditions specified in paragraph (c) of paragraph (1) of this article shall be promptly brought to a judge or a member of the judicial body that empowered by law to exercise judicial functions."

“This person is entitled to be tried within a reasonable period of time or to be released during the judicial proceedings, and his release may be subject to a guarantee of appearance before the Court.

According to the report, "Syrian Detainees in Lebanese Prisons", "Syrian refugees in Lebanon have been subjected to injustice and repression of the security and intelligence services. They have arrested thousands, under baseless and false arguments such as" belonging to Terrorist organizations, dealing with Israel and violating Lebanese laws, "and put them in prison for long periods of time.”

“In some cases, they reached four years and then brought them to military courts and children under the age of 15 may sentenced to the death. These provisions have violated Human rights and international laws, including the Lebanese Military Justice Act of 1968, article 24 of which prohibits the prosecution of civilians and all children before military courts.

The report stressed that it is due to the support of the Assad regime and sectarian incitement from its ally Hezbollah with the aim of punishing everyone who revolted against him, and forcing the rest of the refugees to return.

The report pointed out to the criminality practiced by the Lebanese security forces against the Syrian refugees and detainees.

The Movement of National Liberation prepared a file and submitted it to international bodies and institutions in an effort to try and release these detainees.

According to the report, the file included lists of prisoners and detainees in the Lebanese prisons, in addition to reports of the brutal practices against them and testimonies of activists and rights activists and detainees from inside Roumieh prison, and a voice appeal from them to release etc..

The report considered that there is “almost complete legal absence in the legitimate rights of Syrian refugees in Lebanon, and that all provisions against Syrians in Lebanese courts violate the laws of 1951, of the Universal Refugee Convention and the 1967 Protocol that called for the protection of all refugees in all the countries that turn to it under compelling or exceptional circumstances and to provide a safe place for them”.

“The sentences against children under the age of 15 are a serious violation by the Lebanese government of international law of 1989 and other International Convention of child’s Rights, which insist on the rights of the child as human and universal rights”.

Zaman Al Wasl