Civil Society Organizations in Lebanon are requesting the United Nations’ concerned committees to urgently review the situation of prisons and torture in detention places in Lebanese prisons and take the necessary and immediate measures to deal with the overcrowding in detention centers all over the country, where the overcrowding rate is reaching unprecedented levels with up to 300%
After their 2013 visit to Lebanon, in the context of an inquiry, members of the Committee Against Torture (CAT) identified overcrowding as a major issue, characterising as “appalling” the conditions of detention in Lebanese prisons, particularly in Roumieh. This is mainly due to the “high number of persons held in pre-trial detention, many of them in prolonged pre-trial detention.”
the authorities have continuously failed to take any tangible steps to address overcrowding and implement the CAT’s recommendations. In this context, regular reports of death in detention due to torture, ill-treatment, and denial of appropriate care and nutrition have been documented by civil society. None of these deaths in custody have led to an impartial, effective, and thorough investigation, violating the country’s international obligations under the UNCAT.
The Lebanese Civil Society stresses the need for Lebanon to implement its commitments in accordance with international agreements regarding the standards of humane treatment of detainees and the adoption of accountability measures and mechanisms for the violations of detainees’ rights that Lebanese and refugee prisoners are subject to.
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