BEIRUT — Lebanon’s prosecutor general Ghassan Oueidat on Monday ordered a probe into the alleged torture of more than 20 Syrians in custody following a report by Amnesty International, state media reported.
Lebanese authorities were accused of “cruel and abusive” treatment of more than 20 Syrians, according to Amnesty that published last week a report saying those arrested had been tortured in prison or during interrogation.
It blamed in particular Lebanon’s military intelligence bureau and said the abuse was mostly at a military intelligence center in east Lebanon’s Ablah district, the General Security bureau in Beirut or at the defense ministry.
Oueidat called on the government representative at the military court to “open an investigation into claims made by Amnesty International concerning the arrest and torture of Syrian refugees held over terrorism-related charges,” the official National News Agency reported.
Amnesty cited detainees as saying they faced some of the same torture techniques routinely used in Syrian prisons.
They were hung upside down, forced into stress positions for prolonged periods and beaten with metal rods and electric cables, according to the rights group.
At least 14 of the 26 cases it reported were detained on terrorism-related accusations made on discriminatory grounds, including political affiliation, it said.
Lebanon says it hosts 1.5 million Syrians — nearly a million of whom are registered as refugees with the United Nations.
Nine out of ten Syrians in Lebanon live in extreme poverty, the UN says.
Lebanese authorities have systematically pressured Syrians to return even though rights groups warn Syria is not yet safe.
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Lebanon orders probe into torture of detained Syrians
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Lebanon orders probe into torture of detained Syrians
- Amnesty’s report published last week accused Lebanese authorities of "cruel and abusive" treatment of more than 20 Syrians tortured in prison or during interrogation
- Military court to "open an investigation into claims made by Amnesty concerning the arrest and torture of Syrian refugees held over terrorism-related charges”
Fresh strikes hit Iran as Israel says war enters ‘next phase’
- Powerful explosions shattered the skies above Iran’s capital Tehran early Friday
- Strikes followed warnings from Israel and the US they were stepping up their attacks
TEHRAN: Fresh strikes rocked Iran on Friday as Israel vowed to escalate to a new phase in the Middle East war that has spiraled rapidly throughout the region and beyond.
Powerful explosions shattered the skies above Iran’s capital Tehran early Friday as Israel said it was striking “regime infrastructure” in the city.
Internet coverage is running at about one percent, according to monitor group Netblocks, limiting information about the impact of the war on ordinary Iranians.
In Tehran, the war has emptied the usually traffic-jammed streets but residents said that security forces are keeping a tight grip on the population.
The powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) “has closed almost every main street with armed personnel and heavy machine guns to frighten people,” a 30-year-old Tehran resident said from Paris.
“The people are the real enemy in their eyes, not the Americans. Their extremists say first you have to deal with the enemy at home.”
Friday morning’s strikes on Tehran followed warnings from Israel and the US they were stepping up their attacks, first launched on Saturday in a barrage that killed Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
“We are now moving to the next phase of the operation,” Israel’s military chief Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir said in a televised statement.
“We have additional surprises ahead which I do not intend to disclose,” he added.
Iran launched new retaliatory attacks early Friday against neighboring countries that host US forces. There were no immediate reports of casualties.
It also launched a new wave of missiles and drones targeting Tel Aviv, Israel, on Friday morning, the semiofficial ISNA news agency reported.
The latest strikes mark a full week of attacks affecting countries across the Middle East.
Powerful explosions shattered the skies above Iran’s capital Tehran early Friday as Israel said it was striking “regime infrastructure” in the city.
Internet coverage is running at about one percent, according to monitor group Netblocks, limiting information about the impact of the war on ordinary Iranians.
In Tehran, the war has emptied the usually traffic-jammed streets but residents said that security forces are keeping a tight grip on the population.
The powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) “has closed almost every main street with armed personnel and heavy machine guns to frighten people,” a 30-year-old Tehran resident said from Paris.
“The people are the real enemy in their eyes, not the Americans. Their extremists say first you have to deal with the enemy at home.”
Friday morning’s strikes on Tehran followed warnings from Israel and the US they were stepping up their attacks, first launched on Saturday in a barrage that killed Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
“We are now moving to the next phase of the operation,” Israel’s military chief Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir said in a televised statement.
“We have additional surprises ahead which I do not intend to disclose,” he added.
Iran launched new retaliatory attacks early Friday against neighboring countries that host US forces. There were no immediate reports of casualties.
It also launched a new wave of missiles and drones targeting Tel Aviv, Israel, on Friday morning, the semiofficial ISNA news agency reported.
The latest strikes mark a full week of attacks affecting countries across the Middle East.
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