To commemorate the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture, the signatories of this statement call on the Lebanese authorities to make every effort to banish the practice of torture in Lebanon.
According to the Convention against Torture, ratified by Lebanon in 2000, the term "torture" means any act by which severe pain or suffering, whether physical or mental, is intentionally inflicted on a person for such purposes as obtaining from him or a third person information or a confession, punishing him for an act he or a third person has committed or is suspected of having committed, or intimidating or coercing him or a third person, or for any reason based on discrimination of any kind, when such pain or suffering is inflicted by or at the instigation of or with the consent or acquiescence of a public official or other person acting in an official capacity. It does not include pain or suffering arising only from, inherent in or incidental to lawful sanctions.
Lebanon is failing to eradicate the practice of torture as it is still not complying with its obligations under the UN Convention against Torture. For example, torture has not been criminalized in Lebanese law and Lebanon is more than 10 years late in submitting its initial report on the implementation of the Convention in the country to the Committee against Torture.
The abolition of torture implies the establishment of oversight mechanisms over the actions of security services in all places of detention and prisons. Oversight mechanisms include the establishment of a National Preventive Mechanism, as described in the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture and other cruel, Inhuman and degrading treatment or punishment ratified by Lebanon on December 22nd 2008.
According to many reports, most Lebanese security services continue to resort to torture and degrading treatment during interrogation and detention of suspects.
A public event demanding the criminalization of torture is being held today at 4:00 p.m. at the initiative of AJEM (Association Justice and Mercy), Alef-act for human rights, the Alkarama Foundation, CLDH (Lebanese Center for Human Rights) and Restart Center for Rehabilitation of Victims of Violence and Torture. The event will bring to an end a month of campaign activities, during which individuals and organizations were called to take a stand against torture in Lebanon by participating in a photo-petition, visible at the following address: http://lebanon-june-26.blogspot.com/
Signatories:
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