Reports: Fakhoury in Poor Health, Lebanese Officials Encouraged Him to Return
Lebanese-American citizen Amer Fakhoury, who has been held in Lebanon since mid-September on suspicion that he tortured prisoners at the Israeli-run Khiam prison, is in poor health and his condition is life-threatening, his family has said, citing doctors.
No charges have been filed against Fakhoury. His lawyer, Celine Atallah, said it remains unclear why he's being held. Fakhoury, however, was once a member of the former Israeli-backed South Lebanon Army militia. He also worked as a senior warden at a former prison described by human rights groups as a center for torture.
His family insists he had no direct contact with prisoners and never abused anyone, but several former prisoners and their relatives have accused him of involvement in torture.
Fakhoury's family and his lawyer accuse Lebanese authorities of torturing him.
His family said this week that his health has gotten much worse; doctors told them his condition is grave and life-threatening, including a bad infection, a bleeding disorder and other problems. A court session that was to be held this week has been postponed because of his illness.
A U.S. State Department spokesperson told the Associated Press that the U.S. embassy conducted its most recent consular visit with Fakhoury on Nov. 7. No details were provided.
"We take allegations of mistreatment seriously and whenever we receive credible reports of mistreatment we raise our concerns directly with the host government," the spokesperson said.
In New Hampshire, Fakhoury ran a Middle Eastern/Mediterranean restaurant, where he struck up friendships with patrons and community members. Interested in Republican politics, he once met Donald Trump on a presidential campaign visit. He also hosted fundraisers for a GOP congressional candidate.
Fakhoury was one of many South Lebanon Army members who fled after Israel withdrew from Lebanon in 2000 following an 18-year occupation, fearing reprisals if they stayed in Lebanon. Others stayed and faced trial, receiving lenient sentences.
Fakhoury's family says he came to the United States in 2001, where he started a restaurant with his wife and put his four daughters through the University of New Hampshire.
Fakhoury started looking into a visit to Lebanon after President Michel Aoun last year encouraged former SLA members to return home. His lawyer said that, like many others in the SLA, Fakhoury faced a charge in 1996 of collaborating with Israel, which was eventually “dropped.”
"He was actually granted assurances from the government, who reviewed his file and told him, 'Your file is clear. Come back, you can come back to your country,'" the lawyer said.
He arrived in Beirut in mid-September, along with his wife and two of his daughters.
Security officials held onto his passport for a routine check and let him go. When he returned about a week later to retrieve it, al-Akhbar newspaper, which is close to Hizbullah, published a story accusing him of playing a role in the torture of inmates at the former Khiam prison. He was arrested a day after it appeared.
Scores of protesters outside a military court connected to Fakhoury's case carried signs dubbing him the "butcher of Khiam"; some demanded he get the death penalty.
Fakhoury's family and lawyer said he worked at the prison from 1989 to 1996. They said he handled paperwork, cleaned the prison and made sure inmates got their food.
"There's no legal basis for his arrest," the lawyer said. "There's no legal basis for his detention. ... He's an American citizen, an innocent American citizen who's being illegally detained."
Before the mass anti-government protests started, the Lebanese General Security Directorate said Fakhoury had possessed an Israeli passport. But the lawyer said U.S. records show he didn't have one. Lebanon's laws prevent its citizens from dealing with or making any contacts with Israel.
Fakhoury's family said they are working with U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen and the U.S. Embassy in Lebanon. They also wrote to the White House but haven't received a response.
Fakhoury's wife visits him and the daughters received a brief phone call from him during which he asked about his granddaughter and began to cry.
Source: Associated Press, Naharnet
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