The following report highlights Lebanon’s improvements and setbacks of the most pressing human rights issues in 2015. The Lebanese government has shown a willingness to comply with certain human rights matters, however it clearly lacks the capacity and funds to improve legislation, enforce laws, and report to the United Nations (UN) properly. With regard to [...]
This report analyses the human rights and human security situation of refugees from Syria and their impact on the Lebanese society. Since the beginning of the conflict in Syria, Lebanon has received ever-increasing numbers of Syrian citizens and Palestinian refugees living in Syria who were seeking refuge. With almost one and a half million refugees [...]
Lebanon has the highest concentration of refugees per capita and specifically, the highest number of Syrian refugees in the world. As of November 11th, 2014, over a million Syrian refugees were registered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the equivalent to more than a quarter of Lebanon’s resident population. The international community [...]
There are currently over one million Syrian refugees situated in Lebanon, seriously impacting its society and political system. However, this number does not cover the total amount of Syrian refugees in Lebanon. There are many who have not registered with the UNHCR since the Lebanese government has temporarily suspended new registration of refugees as of [...]
In the summer of 2015, Lebanon’s streets were lined with trash. Sukleen, a trash company’s, contract was up and parliament could not decide who would be replacing it. The smell became so unbearable thousands of Lebanese rose to the streets in protest. A campaign that gained international fame called You Stink was thought to be [...]
Lebanon’s 20th century civil war not only destabilized Lebanon, but also devastated the country’s development and protection of human rights. Its domestic legal order is now dysfunctional and often does not operate independently from the government. Today, the judicial system is subject to the whimsical decisions of statesmen and is constantly hijacked by opposing forces, [...]
According to the UNHCR, by the end of September 2013, there were over 700,000 registered Syrian refugees in Lebanon, and more than a million on Lebanese territory. Three quarters of the refugee population are women and children, spread out over 1,200 locations in Lebanon. Most of the Syrian refugees live in the Bekaa valley and [...]
Lebanon’s crippling, fifteen-year civil war and corrupt political system have created pitiable law enforcement practices and inadequate legislation that do not protect the rights and freedoms of the suspect, accused or convicted. Today, research has revealed that there is rampant arbitrary detention in Lebanon. Suspects are routinely held in police stations or courthouse holding cells [...]
The continuous search of the Lebanese polity for a proper electoral law able to achieve the simple tasks of any electoral law has failed repetitively. There have been nine different electoral laws for fourteen different parliamentary elections since the independence. Beside the normal political competition and manipulation, one of the main reasons for this failure, [...]
Following the release of Internal Security Forces Code of Conduct in 2012, ALEF underwent a review of the CoC identifying shortfalls and gaps to be addressed by the ISF. The commentary focused on the below parts: The conflict with the actual law The mechanisms of implementation/respect of the Code of Conduct (CoC) The terminology, spirit [...]
