Country: Lebanon

After years of political stalemate, Lebanon continues to suffer from recurrent human rights violations and a lack of political will to address issues such as the practice of torture or restrictions to freedom of speech.

In the context of the spill over from the Syrian conflict and the country’s unstable security situation, the authorities have subjected individuals – including refugees – suspected of terrorism to severe abuses. These include prolonged periods of incommunicado detention during which torture is routinely used to both punish the detainees and extract confessions to be used later as evidence.

Furthermore, as a result of Lebanon’s exceptional justice system, numerous individuals are subjected to unfair trials before the Judicial Council – a political body whose judges are appointed by the executive – or military tribunal, which is composed of military officers appointed by the minister of defence.

Lastly, in recent years, the authorities have judicially harassed citizens who have peacefully expressed their opinion, including on social media, particularly when they have expressed criticism of members of the government or the army. They risk prosecution under vaguely defined accusations of “libel” and “defamation”, and are also at risk or are being subjected to censorship.

Kenyan domestic worker and asylum seeker at risk of deportation from Lebanon released

NM is a Kenyan domestic worker and asylum seeker residing in Lebanon. On April 4, 2022, she was arrested by the General Security Office (GSO) on the grounds of her irregular status. Although NM introduced a request for international protection before the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the GSO attempted to forcibly return […]

Joint Statement to Lebanese Authorities: Enforce Lebanon’s Anti-Torture Law

On the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture, we, the undersigned organizations, call on the Lebanese authorities to effectively protect everyone in its territory, including those in detention, from torture and cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment or punishment. The authorities should investigate all allegations of torture and ill-treatment and the perpetrators of such […]

Joint letter calling on the Lebanese authorities for an independent, impartial, and transparent investigation into the causes of the recent shipwreck off the coast of Tripoli

A coalition of eight human rights organisations is calling on the Lebanese authorities to conduct an independent, impartial and transparent investigation into the causes of the recent shipwreck off Tripoli on April 23, 2022.

Shipwreck off the coast of Tripoli, families demand explanations on the circumstances of the sinking

Since the Lebanese economic crisis worsened in the fall of 2019, irregular crossings of migrants from the Lebanese coast have increased. Such crossings are likely to persist over time as Lebanese nationals wishing to leave the country experience growing difficulties to obtain or renew passports from the Lebanese General Security. On April 23, 2022, a […]

Lebanon: More needs to be done to safeguard the rights of refugees, says UN Human Rights Committee

On April 6, 2022, the Human Rights Committee evaluated Lebanon’s efforts to tackle violence against women, including domestic and sexual violence, safeguard the human rights of refugees, asylum seekers and migrant domestic workers in light of its last Concluding Observations. Regarding the situation of refugees and asylum seekers in Lebanon, MENA Rights Group and the […]

Joint report on the erosion of the non-refoulement principle in Lebanon since 2018

Joint report submitted by MENA Rights Group and Global Detention Project to the UN Human Rights Committee in the context of the follow-up to the Concluding Observations on the third periodic report of Lebanon. The report specifically looks at Lebanon’s effort to ensure that the non-refoulement principle is strictly adhered to in practice, that all […]

Study on the protection of lawyers against undue interference in Lebanon

On December 6, 2021, MENA Rights Group and the Prisoners’ Rights Center of the Tripoli Bar Association provided the Special Rapporteur on the Independence of Judges and Lawyers with information on the exercise of the lawyer’s profession. The joint submission will help the Special Rapporteur prepare its forthcoming report to the Human Rights Council (2022) […]

Urgent appeal: Rights organizations call on Lebanese authorities to cease the intimidation of human rights lawyer Mohammed Sablouh

Human rights organizations are gravely concerned by the Lebanese authorities’ recent attempts to silence and discredit Mohammed Sablouh, a human rights lawyer defending victims of torture and Syrian refugees facing deportation. The actions of the Lebanese authorities represent an unacceptable infringement on the work of lawyers and other human rights defenders, in light of Lebanon’s […]

Lebanese human rights lawyer Mohammad Sablouh facing increasing threats and intimidation

Mohammad Sablouh is a human rights lawyer in Lebanon. He has been working on documenting cases and assisting victims of torture and arbitrary detention. Among other things, he filed several cases at the domestic level under the Anti-Torture Law No. 65. At the international level, he regularly provides international NGOs, including MENA Rights Group, with […]

Syrian national Messayar Al Azzawi deported from Lebanon to Syria, while his brother is released

On June 12, 2019, the Al Azzawi brothers were arrested by the Lebanese Military Intelligence Service at their home in Beirut, Lebanon. While in detention, they were subjected to severe acts of torture by military intelligence officers in order to obtain forced confessions, including that they were fighting with opposition armed groups in Syria. On […]