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 [...]
Since 2005, Lebanon has been experiencing increased political instability. While the overall level of human rights protection has improved, this improvement depends on the political priorities of individual ministers rather than coherent policy decisions. It is also frequently affected by armed conflicts and clashes. There are reports of political interference in the judicial process, and [...]
In the years following ALEF’s first report on torture in June of 2008, the Lebanese government has taken on several projects towards the protection of their citizens from torture. The most important of which is the ratification of the Optional Protocol to the United Nations Convention Against Torture (OPCAT). The subsequent issuance of ministerial decree [...]
The Universal Period Review (UPR) is a human rights mechanism developed in March, 2006, by the General Assembly Resolution 60/251. This resolution established the Human Rights Council (HRC), a body made up of 47 member states. The HRC periodically reviews the performance of the 192 UN member states in regards to their implementation of human [...]
Since 1991, Lebanon’s society has been unstable. War, occupations and state corruption have left its political system and social programs weakened and tensions high amongst religious groups. The effects of Lebanese politics on the state and its residents, coupled with permissive attitudes towards violence, hate speech, and dehumanization of “the other”, allows people to rationalize [...]
Lebanon has adhered to a number of human rights treaties that address health-related rights, and guarantee to protect the health of its population. Lebanon has a strong private health sector, nevertheless, there are vast regional health disparities amongst the population. The inefficiency of the healthcare system, high cost of health insurance, unhealthy life conditions, and [...]
The Military Tribunal raises several concerns in regards to human rights and the rule of law in Lebanon. Its current jurisdiction allows for the tribunal to transgress the right to be tried before a competent, independent and impartial court established by law. This allows for military investigators to torture suspects, force suspects into arbitrary detention, [...]
