U.S. Says Lebanese State Agencies Carrying Out Human Rights Abuses
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
The U.S. State Department has shed light on abuses carried out by official agencies in Lebanon last year as it unveiled its annual assessment of the state of human rights around the world.
It said in its 2014 report on Thursday that “the most significant human rights abuses during the year were torture and abuse by security forces, harsh prison and detention center conditions, and limitations on freedom of movement for Palestinian and Syrian refugees.”
“As of November 11, there were 6,012 prisoners and detainees, including pretrial detainees and remand prisoners, in facilities built to hold 3,500 inmates. The central prison in Roumieh, with a capacity of 1,500, held approximately 2,722 persons,” it said.
Other abuses “included arbitrary arrest and detention, lengthy pretrial detention, a judiciary subject to political pressure and long delays in trials, violation of citizens’ privacy rights,some restrictions on freedoms of speech and press, including intimidation of journalists.”
According to the report, there have also been some restrictions on freedom of assembly, widespread violence against women, trafficking in persons, restricted labor rights for and abuse of migrant domestic workers, and child labor.
“Although the legal structure provides for prosecution and punishment, government officials enjoyed a measure of impunity for human rights abuses,” said the State Department.
It also stressed that despite the presence of the Lebanese army and U.N. troops, “Hizbullah retained significant influence over parts of the country.”
The report said the Lebanese “government made no tangible progress toward disbanding and disarming armed militia groups, including Hizbullah.”
It added that “Palestinian refugee camps continued to act as self-governed entities and maintained security and militia forces not under the direction of government officials.”
The State Department's annual country-by-country index gives a stark assessment of the state of human rights in every country around the world -- except back home in the United States.
"We do not include our own record in this report because we cannot be objective observers of our own behavior," the State Department said, adding that it welcomed "scrutiny by human rights groups."
G.K.
D.A.
26 June 2015, 08:51
62
The worst human rights abuses are committed by a rogue sectarian militia that controls army intelligence.
26 June 2015, 10:47
45
Loool at you trolls and your baseless accusations, but the biggest lol is for the US, who legalized torture and conducted human experiments to hone their torture techniques, and are currently violating human rights all over the world, and they think they are in a position to give lessons? GTFO!
26 June 2015, 10:50
34
And now that they became comfortable enough torturing people from other countries, they're bringing the know-how home:
https://firstlook.org/theintercept/2015/02/26/exclusive-chicago-black-site-detainee-speaks/
26 June 2015, 10:54
53
Of course you avoid answering the FACT that Ebola has killed National Unity, divided the country and assassinated the living together. A big crime against Lebanon and its people.
26 June 2015, 12:13
34
of course i ignore your rant, it must be the 10939858th time you post it, and i did answer it a dozen times, but i'm not willing to play into your psychosis for ever.
26 June 2015, 10:48
24
It's okay, nothing to see there, nor in the other hundreds black sites around the world where democracy and human rights are being nurtured.
26 June 2015, 11:03
52
Of course, you also having nothing to say about Iran forbidding women to play Volley-ball. What an advanced culture!!!
26 June 2015, 11:16
34
Why would I talk about iranian women's volley ball in an article about the US, Lebanon and torture? Seems a little off-topic don't you think?
Additionally, why would I say something about something that is simply untrue and that you invented out of your need to make anti-Iranian rants everywhere?
How could they be banning women from playing volleyball while having a national team playing in dozens of international competitions?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran_women's_national_volleyball_team
26 June 2015, 11:30
52
You see Ebola as a "resistance" and honorable fighters. But, You have no idea how we see Ebola. More than half of the population see you as a destroyer of Lebanon. Similar to the takfiris and other warmongers. We see Iran and Syria as enemies. We see Iran (according to their multiple declarations) wanting to make of Lebanon an Iranian "protectorate". And, We see you as loyal to Iran and NOT to LEBANON.
We see anyone whose receives his orders from the outside as a traitor.
26 June 2015, 11:30
52
This was an official statement made by Iran 4 days ago. But of course according to you anything bad about Iran is false.
26 June 2015, 12:15
24
Aaaaand you jumped to another subject again! Dude you really have mental issues, like anonymetexasusa, i'm starting to suspect you're the same person behind both accounts.
26 June 2015, 12:16
24
And not not everything about Iran is flase, just the stuff YOU say. And they simply are, even if I wanted to be nice with you and pretend they were true, they would still be false.
26 June 2015, 10:41
03
The US executes as many people as rogue states do- they have nothing to say about human rights abuses
26 June 2015, 14:15
12
The US may need to do some soul searching especially lately in view of the many racist and sectarian crimes committed by its police and other state security agencies. Quite normally, we Lebanese are far from perfect, but this coming from the US must be taken with a pinch of salt, or maybe a little more than a pinch.
26 June 2015, 19:25
02
_mowaten_ sounds like that dude @jamalghosn on twitter, they have ostrich complex.
