Advocacy / Lebanon
Lebanon: 5 years on, no tangible progress in enforcing anti-torture law
In honor of International Day in Support of Victims of Torture, local civil society organisations joined MENA Rights Group in urging Lebanese authorities to enforce Lebanon’s Anti-Torture Law No. 65/2017.
Joint Open Letter to the UNHCR in Lebanon
MENA Rights Group joins 30+ organisations in calling on the UNHCR to increase cooperation and transparency with local organisations in order to address the unlawful deportations of Syrian refugees from Lebanon.
Lebanon: Court decision is a blow to freedom of expression and independence of lawyers
As part of the Coalition to Defend Freedom of Expression in Lebanon, MENA Rights Group condemned the Beirut Bar Association's amendment of the code of ethics, which will now require lawyers to obtain prior permission from the President of the BBA before engaging in any public or media appearances or discussing legal issues on social media, and bans lawyers from criticising the President of the BBA and its council members.
Lebanon: Halt summary deportations of Syrian refugees
MENA Rights Group joins 19 organisations in calling on Lebanese authorities to halt the deportation of Syrian refugees.
Global legal and rule of law community stands in solidarity with Lebanese lawyer Nizar Saghieh
MENA Rights Group joins 30+ organisations in expressing solidarity with Lebanese lawyer Nizar Saghieh who was subjected to reprisal by the Beirut Bar Association for his exercise of freedom of expression.
Global coalition of civil society and media organisations stand in solidarity with independent media outlets in Lebanon amid targeting
MENA Rights Group joined a coalition of civil society and media organisations in condemning the summoning of Lebanese journalists for exercising their rights. We call on Lebanese authorities to respect, uphold and protect freedom of expression and freedom of the press.
Coalition to defend freedom of expression: authorities must respect freedoms of the press and legal profession and fundamentally amend defamation laws
As part of the Coalition to Defend Freedom of Expression in Lebanon, MENA Rights Group condemned the authorities' attempts to restrict freedom of expression by summoning journalists for investigation.
Boats of death: Killing borders and lost justice
On the Global Day of CommemorAction for the Dead, Missing and Forcefully Disappeared at Sea and the Borders, a group of civil society organisations reminds all of the tragic fates suffered by migrants and refugees attempting to leave Lebanon, and calls on Lebanese authorities and the international community to take action.
Lebanon: Syrian Refugee Apparently Tortured to Death
In a joint statement published on September 26, 2022, Human Rights Watch, Legal Agenda, Amnesty International, and MENA Rights Group affirmed that the Lebanese authorities should transfer the prosecution of security force members charged in the torture and murder of a Syrian refugee from inherently unfair military courts to the ordinary criminal courts.
Press release on the situation of Syrian detainees and prisoners in Lebanon
The Lebanese State Security arrested the Syrian refugee Bashar Abdel Saoud on 30 August 2022. Abdel Saoud was tortured to death by a number of officers and soldiers. The victim's photo, which shows clear signs of torture on his body, was leaked and spread over social media platforms. While several press reports confirmed that Bashar Abdel Saoud had been subjected to brutal torture, burns, and bruises - all over his body - caused by severe beatings and flogging with metal wires.