The international organization Human Rights Watch denounced Tuesday in a new report the forced “disappearance” and suspicions of torture of activists apprehended for their implication in the violent demonstrations of Tripoli (North) at the end of January, reiterating its call not to try civilians in military courts.
At the end of February, thirty-five activists, mainly from Tripoli and the Bekaa, had been prosecuted for “terrorism, attempt to form a terrorist group and theft” after demonstrating at the end of January against medical confinement, the serious repercussions of the socio-economic crisis and the inertia of leaders. This protest movement was punctuated by clashes with the police and the army and killed one in the ranks of the protesters. Since then, nineteen of the activists have been released by the courts, four are still in detention and the authorities have refused to identify the other 12 accused.
“Members of Lebanese military intelligence have forcibly disappeared and allegedly tortured detainees who had demonstrated in Tripoli,” Human Rights Watch (HRW) denounced. in a press release. The NGO indicates that, according to testimonies collected from detained demonstrators and members of their families, some of these detainees disappeared for several days at the start of their imprisonment in military detention centers, without their relatives having any knowledge. new. “There is not a person or a place where I did not go to inquire,” said the mother of Tarek Badaouiyé, one of the detainees, 28 years old. “But nobody knew… I thought maybe someone had beaten him up or killed him, you know the situation in the country. For three days I went through hell. I thought my child was dead “.
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HRW recalls in this context that enforced disappearances “are serious crimes under international law and are prohibited at any time”. The NGO also condemns the fact that the majority of detainees were questioned without the presence of their lawyer, before evoking testimonies of torture.
Badly beaten and threatened with electrocution
One of the activists, 34-year-old Ali Hashem, told HRW that officers from the military intelligence branch in Chtaura, Bekaa, slapped and punched him while he was blindfolded and was handcuffed, while insulting him. Another reports that officers threatened and beat him. “They told me they wanted to torture me to implicate [un autre manifestant]. They said + we are going to put you on the swing + “, an allusion to the torture of hanging a victim with the wrists tied behind his back. This ex-detainee told the military examining magistrate that he had falsely implicated another demonstrating because of the torture inflicted on him. A 15-year-old teenager was “badly beaten, subjected to falaka (blows inflicted on the soles of the feet) and threatened with electrocution”, says his mother.
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Lebanon passed an anti-torture law in 2017 – according to which torture is a crime, in accordance with the Convention against Torture ratified by the country in 2000 – but NGOs regularly continue to document cases of torture, saying the authorities were not seriously investigating cases involving the security services. An institution has been set up to investigate cases related to human rights violations, but the government has still not allocated a budget.
Legitimate grievances
HRW also denounces the fact that these individuals “have to answer for manifestly unfounded terrorism charges before the country’s military courts, a procedure in itself unfair since under international law, these courts should not have jurisdiction over civilians. . ” The NGO points out that the military prosecutor had charged all suspects with the same crimes, including terrorism and theft, without specifying the evidence provided against each individual.
“If the Lebanese authorities believe these accusations are founded, they should refer the case to civilian courts, ensure that the accused have a fair trial and investigate the serious allegations of enforced disappearance, torture and denial. due process, ”said Aya Majzoub, Lebanon and Bahrain researcher in the Middle East and North Africa division at HRW. And to call on the Lebanese authorities to respond “to the legitimate grievances of the inhabitants of Tripoli, instead of intensifying the repression against a population which fights for a dignified existence and to answer for enforced disappearances and any act of torture perpetrated against detainees and waive all unfounded terrorism charges brought against them “.
This is the second time in a week that Lebanon has been pinned down by international organizations for accusations of torture. Last week, Amnesty International published a damning report on the arbitrary detention and torture inflicted by Lebanese security forces on dozens of Syrian refugees accused of terrorism. On Monday, the Attorney General at the Lebanese Court of Cassation, Ghassan Oueidate, reacted to these accusations by ordering the opening of an investigation into the practice of torture in Lebanese prisons.
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The international organization Human Rights Watch denounced Tuesday in a new report the forced “disappearance” and suspicions of torture of activists apprehended for their implication in the violent demonstrations of Tripoli (North) at the end of January, reiterating its call not to try civilians in military courts. At the end of February, thirty-five activists from …
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