Syrian refugees subjected to same shocking torture techniques used in Assad's jails

Syrian refugees subjected to same shocking torture techniques used in Assad's jails

Syrian refugees subjected to same shocking torture techniques used in Assad's jails him to stand again.”

There have been no investigations into any of the torture allegations Amnesty documented, even in cases where detainees or their lawyers told a judge they had been tortured. In some cases, security agents requested the delay of court sessions leading to the loss of scars from beatings or other forms of torture.

Amnesty has also documented the ill-treatment of two women who were sexually harassed and verbally assaulted in detention. One was forced to watch as security agents tortured her son and another woman was made to watch her husband being beaten.

Lebanon passed an anti-torture law in 2017 but has failed to implement it, and torture complaints rarely reach court.

Convicted for expressing opposition to Syrian government All 26 detainees, whose cases were documented by Amnesty, were denied access to a lawyer during initial questioning, in violation of Lebanon’s own laws and international law and standards. This undermined their ability to defend themselves or to challenge their detention. After arrest, refugees often reported having to wait several weeks to appear before an investigative judge, and in nine cases trials were delayed for up to two years, violating international law.

In many cases judges relied heavily on confessions obtained under torture or evidence from unreliable informants, and convictions were based on vague and overly-broad terrorism-related charges. At least 14 detainees told Amnesty they “confessed” to crimes they did not commit after being tortured or threatened. In 23 of the documented cases, detainees - two of them children - were tried before military courts, violating international standards against the trial of civilians before such courts.

In 14 of the cases documented, Amnesty found that terrorism-related accusations against Syrian refugees were made on discriminatory grounds including political affiliations, and in nine cases simply expressing political opposition to the Syrian government was considered evidence to justify convictions on “terrorism” charges.

A number of Syrians living in north Lebanon were arrested based on their real or perceived involvement in the 2014 battle of Arsal - when members of Jabhat al-Nusra and ISIS attacked the Lebanese army and abducted 16 members of the security forces. The battle of Arsal ended with a ceasefire deal that allowed thousands of Jabhat al-Nusra fighters and their families to return to Idlib in Syria. The cases examined also included a number of Syrian women detained in relation to their male relatives’ alleged activities, or in order to pressure the male relatives to confess or hand themselves over.

Amnesty is calling on the Lebanese authorities to ensure all Syrian detainees are granted a fair trial that adheres to international standards. They must also urgently end the practice of trying civilians in military courts.