Human rights in Lebanon
Member State of the Arab League |
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Human Rights in Lebanon refers to the state of
In January 2015, the
History
Lebanon ambassador to the UN Charles Malik took part in the drafting of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which Lebanon adopted in 1948.
Torture
There are reports that security forces may abuse detainees and, in some instances, use
According to Amnesty International annual report 2015-2016, many Lebanese were subjected to torture during their detention. In June, five officers were charged with using violence against prisoners at Roumieh Prison after two videos were posted on social media showing Internal Security forces officers beating detainees. Amnesty International claimed that Lebanon failed in establishing a national monitoring body on torture despite the ratification on the optional protocol to the UN Convention against Torture in 2000.[7]
On 8 December 2021, the Human Rights Watch reported that Lebanon's General Security arbitrarily detained Nada Homsi. She is a US freelance journalist who has worked with several Arab and international outlets, including National Public Radio. Homsi was arrested on 16 November 2021 without a judicial order and confiscated her electronics and other documents. They also violated her rights in detention by denying her access to a lawyer.[8]
Political Detention
The Syrian forces in Lebanon detained political opponents without charge for both short and long periods of time until 2005. After Syrian forces pulled back from Lebanon during 2005, no opposer to the Syrian Government was reported detained. However, pro-Syrian security generals were detained. For example, former Major General
Limitations on Freedom of Speech
There were big improvements since the withdrawal of 25,000 Syrian troops from Lebanon in April 2005 in what was dubbed the Cedar Revolution by the West. "The centrality of mass protest to the post–civil war politics of the country arguably began in 2005 after the assassination of Prime Minister Rafik Al Hariri."[11] This tragic event galvanized the Lebanese people, sparking a series of mass protests that would become a defining feature of the country's politics in the years to follow.
However, journalists and politicians known to be critical of Syria were targets through car-bomb assassinations prepared by terrorists.
On the morning of 16 September 2015, Lebanese security forces allegedly used excessive force in a crackdown on demonstrators protesting rampant corruption and poor public services. The protests took place near the Beirut headquarters of the Lebanese parliament. The Lebanese anti-riot police fired gas tears canisters, rubber-coated steel bullets at protesters, and arrested more than 30 activist, who were all freed in the following days. During two days, more than 175 protesters were wounded, and several journalists and photographers were assaulted, according to a report of Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor.[13]
On 11 August 2020 reports documented that the Lebanese security forces, as well as several unidentified men in civilian clothes, attacked unarmed protesters following the Beirut explosion on 4 August. Tear gas, rubber bullets and pump action pellets were fired recklessly towards the crowds, injuring more than 230 people during the protests of 8 August.[14]
Abuse and Discrimination Against Migrant Workers
The abuse of domestic workers in Lebanon, mainly women in their 20-30s from Ethiopia, Sri Lanka and the Philippines has brought international attention to the rights of the workers, who are often made to work long hours, abused and not paid their wages. A spate of suicides by maids over a few weeks before December 2009 by hanging themselves or falling from balconies brought international attention from CNN,[15] LA Times and even resulted in the creation of a blog by a blogger simply identified as "Wissam" to the flagrant abuse in Lebanon.[15]
Migrant workers are widely discriminated against in commercial facilities such as beach resorts, where domestic workers would be denied access to the facilities.[16] This discrimination is rooted in prejudice, and usually carried out based on racial appearance, therefore it has strong racist undertones.
Following the influx of Syrian refugees, many municipalities have declared "curfews" targeting Syrian nationals.[17] Huge banners are prominently hung in public places, declaring a curfew for "Syrian workers".
Child Labor
According to the
Later in 2014, the Department's List of Goods Produced by Child Labor or Forced Labor reported tobacco as a good produced in such working conditions in the Lebanese agricultural sector.
Child Marriage
The minimum marriage age varies by sect,[19] but virtually both Muslim and Christian personal status laws allow child marriage.
In 2021 the Supreme Islamic Sharia Council raised the minimum marriage age to 18 years.[20]
Discrimination against Palestinians
Over 400,000 Palestinian refugees and descendants live in Lebanon. They are not allowed to own property, and even need a special permit to leave their refugee camps. Unlike other foreigners in Lebanon, they are denied access to the Lebanese healthcare system. The Lebanese government refused to grant them permission to own land. The number of restrictions has been mounting since 1990.[21] However, in 2010 the government of Lebanon removed work restrictions from Palestinians, enabling them to apply for work permits and work in the private sector.[22] In a 2007 study, Amnesty International denounced the "appalling social and economic condition" of Palestinians in Lebanon.[23]
Lebanon gave citizenship to about 50,000 Christian Palestinian refugees during the 1950s and 1960s. In the mid-1990s, about 60,000 refugees who were Sunni Muslim majority were granted citizenship. This caused a protest from Maronite authorities, leading to citizenship being given to all the Palestinian Christian refugees who were not already citizens.[24] There are about 350,000 non-citizen Palestinian refugees in Lebanon.
The Lebanese Parliament is divided on granting Palestinian rights. While many Lebanese parties call for improving the civil rights of Palestinian refugees, others raise concerns of naturalizing the mainly Muslim population and the disruption this might cause to Lebanon's sectarian balance.[25]
According to Mudar Zahran, a Jordanian scholar of Palestinian heritage, the media chose to deliberately ignore the conditions of the Palestinians living in refugee camps in Lebanon. He writes that the "tendency to blame Israel for everything" has provided Arab leaders an excuse to deliberately ignore the human rights of the Palestinian in their countries.[26]
Syrian refugee crisis in Lebanon
August 2016,
Freedom of Religion
The Lebanese
Abortion
Abortion is illegal except in cases where the pregnant person's life is at risk. It is criminalised in Lebanon's Penal Code of 1943.[28]
Treatment of Homosexuals
A few courts have ruled that Article 534 of the Lebanese Penal Code should no longer be used to arrest LGBT people, however members of the LGBT community are still being arrested, harassed and prosecuted by the same law. Today, there are several Lebanese organizations and movements that aim to improve the living conditions for the LGBT community,[29] none of which are governmental.
In 2002, a
"Anal examinations" were used in Lebanon on men suspected of homosexuality. On 28 July 2012, a gay venue in Beirut was raided by police and 36 men were taken into custody, where they were forced to undergo these examinations. These exams contribute to the assertion of state sovereignty and control by allowing the state to regulate and surveil individuals' sexuality and gender expression, thereby reinforcing its power over marginalized groups.[30] In response, dozens demonstrated in Beirut against these "examinations," calling them the "tests of shame."[31][32] This practice was however outlawed by the Ministry of Justice as well as for the Lebanese Doctors' association banning its members from practising it.
In 2009, the inception of Laique Pride on Facebook marked a pivotal moment for Lebanon's secular and LGBTQ+ communities.[33] Unlike traditional pride events focusing solely on LGBTQ visibility, this march ambitiously called for civil marriage laws, challenging Lebanon's sectarian divisions and advocating for liberal values despite that the majority of its organizers were queer evangelical secularists.[34] "A politics of queer visibility informed Laique Pride and was deployed for political and social demands that were explicitly heterosexual— a civil marriage law. The Laique Pride march was, in effect, a public and mass coming out party— not of the initiative’s LGBTQ members but for a community of people who identify as members of a secular counter-public."[35] This innovative approach questioned societal norms around marriage and leadership positions and cleverly critiqued religious conversion practices. "During the Laique Pride march, organizers cynically highlighted practices of religious conversion that they believed were 'strategic' rather than faith-based. They printed signs for the march that read, 'I want to be President of the Republic. Should I convert to Christianity?' and 'I want to marry you, shall I become Muslim?'"[36] The event's strategic navigation of public opinion and homophobia emphasized secularism over explicit LGBTQ rights advocacy to foster a broader base of support. "The activist explained that a public association between the first secular march and queer rights would be a disservice to the larger cause and discredit it in the minds of the public."[37] This careful approach underscored the nuanced battle for tolerance and inclusivity in a society grappling with deep-seated sectarianism and evolving towards a more secular, inclusive future.
On 24 June 2022, Lebanese authorities unlawfully banned peaceful gatherings of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) people, violating constitutional rights to equality, free expression, and free assembly. A wave of anti-LGBTI hate speech on social media by individuals and some religious groups, followed the ministry's letter, including incitement to violence, death threats, and calls to ban the scheduled events by force.[38]
Women's Suffrage Rights
Women earned the right to vote in 1952, five years later than men, who earned it in 1947 shortly after independence from the
Internet Restrictions
Multiple websites have been reported to be blocked, somewhat inconsistently.[41] The Ministry of Telecommunication is known to have ordered gambling sites and a few pornographic sites to be blocked, based on judiciary decisions.[42]
Lebanese law permits the censoring of pornographic and religious materials only when considered a threat to national security.[43] As of 2014[update] the law doesn't prohibit individuals from accessing pornographical content (same for child porn, considered a criminal act), or any other type of content on the Internet.
See also
- Human trafficking in Lebanon
- Internet in Lebanon
- Human rights in Islamic countries
- Internet censorship by country
References
- ^ "Lebanon", Country Reports on Human Rights Practices 2004, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, U.S. Department of State, 28 February 2005
- ^ "Mired in poverty: Palestinian refugees in Lebanon see little hope in new law", Richard Hall, The Guardian, 24 August 2010
- ^ "Lebanon: The 'Lee-Side' of the Arab Spring", Somdeep Sen, "openDemocracy", 15 November 2011
- ^ "Lebanon: Thousands rally against sectarian leaders", Meris Lutz, "Los Angeles Times", 20 March 2011
- ^ "Lebanon: Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman, or Degrading Treatment or Punishment", 2004 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, U.S. Department of State, 28 February 2005
- ^ Lebanon: The Ministry of Defense Detention Center: A Major Obstacle to the Prevention of Torture: Forgotten victims, unpunished executioners, Marie Daunay, Solida (Paris), 5 October 2006
- ^ "Lebanon 2015/2016". Amnesty International. Retrieved 22 August 2016.
- ^ "Lebanon:Release Detained Journalist". Human Rights Watch. Retrieved 8 December 2021.
- ^ Yara Bayoumy and Tom Perry (29 April 2009). "FACTBOX: Lebanese generals ordered released by Hariri court". Reuters.
- ^ "Order of the Pre-Trial Judge regarding the release of the four Generals", United Nations Special Tribunal For Lebanon, 29 April 2009
- ^ Mikdashi, Maya. Sextarianism : Sovereignty, Secularism, and the State in Lebanon, Stanford University Press, 2022. P. 122
- ^ Marling, William (1 May 2009). "Why Jane Fonda Is Banned in Beirut". The Wall Street Journal.
- ^ Monitor, Euro-Med. "Lebanese security forces using excessive force against protesters". Euro-Mediterranean. Retrieved 22 February 2016.
- ^ "Lebanon: Military and security forces attack unarmed protesters following explosions". Amnesty International. Retrieved 11 August 2020.
- ^ a b Ollvia Sterns (2 December 2009). "Spate of suicides by foreign maids in Lebanon sheds light on abuse". CNN.
- ^ Flat Out Segregation at Lebanese Beaches, Anti-Racism Movement, 2012
- ^ At Least 45 Local Curfews Imposed on Syrian Refugees, Human Rights Watch, 2014
- ^ "Lebanon, 2013 Findings on the Worst Forms of Child Labor". Archived from the original on 19 June 2019. Retrieved 26 March 2015.
- ^ "Understanding the social processes underpinning child marriage: The impact of protracted displacement in Lebanon on Syrian refugees – Lebanon". ReliefWeb. Retrieved 13 May 2021.
- ^ "Caretaker Justice Minister Marie-Claude Najm has praised as a positive step a recent Supreme Islamic Sharia Council decision setting the minimum marriage age at 18, except in cases receiving judicial approval, while adding that she supports banning child marriage in civil law". L'Orient Today. 12 May 2021. Retrieved 13 May 2021.
- ^ "Poverty trap for Palestinian refugees", Alaa Shahine, Aljazeera, 29 March 2004
- ^ Jim Muir (17 August 2010). "Lebanon grants Palestinian refugees right to work". BBC News.
- ^ "Exiled and suffering: Palestinian refugees in Lebanon", Amnesty International, 17 October 2007
- ^ Simon Haddad, "The Origins of Popular Opposition to Palestinian Resettlement in Lebanon", International Migration Review, Volume 38 Number 2 (June 2004):470-492.
- ^ Mroueh, Wassim (16 June 2010). "Parliament divided on granting Palestinian rights". The Daily Star.
- ^ "Demonizing Israel is bad for the Palestinians", Mudar Zarhan, Jerusalem Post, 8 January 2010
- ^ "The Forgotten Refugees: A Quarter Million Syrian Children Are Left Without an Education". Human Rights Watch. 16 August 2016. Retrieved 9 February 2017.
- ^ "Moral Work and the Construction of Abortion Networks: Women's Access to Safe Abortion in Lebanon". Health and Human Rights Journal. 9 December 2019. Retrieved 8 April 2023.
- ^ "Peaceful Rally in Beirut for Gay Rights", George Achi, L'Orient-Le Jour, 23 February 2009, English translation by Yoshie Furuhashi, MRZine
- ISBN 9781503631557.)
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: date and year (link - ^ "Lebanese protest anal exams on suspected homosexuals". Ynetnews (AFP). Yedioth Ahronot. 13 August 2012. Retrieved 13 August 2012.
- ^ "Outraged Lebanese demand end to anal exams on gay men". BBC News. 7 August 2012. Retrieved 13 August 2012.
- ^ Mikdashi, Maya. Sextarianism : Sovereignty, Secularism, and the State in Lebanon, Stanford University Press, 2022. P. 142
- ^ Mikdashi, Maya. Sextarianism : Sovereignty, Secularism, and the State in Lebanon, Stanford University Press, 2022. P. 149
- ^ Mikdashi, Maya. Sextarianism : Sovereignty, Secularism, and the State in Lebanon, Stanford University Press, 2022. P. 143
- ^ Mikdashi, Maya. Sextarianism : Sovereignty, Secularism, and the State in Lebanon, Stanford University Press, 2022. P. 144
- ^ Mikdashi, Maya. Sextarianism : Sovereignty, Secularism, and the State in Lebanon, Stanford University Press, 2022. P. 149
- ^ "Lebanon: Unlawful Crackdown on LGBTI Gatherings". Human Rights Watch. Retrieved 4 July 2022.
- ^ "International Woman Suffrage Timeline: 1952", Jone Johnson Lewis, About.com, accessed 22 August 2011
- ISBN 978-0191530418.
- ^ Mapping blocked websites in Lebanon 2015, SMEC news, 2015
- ^ Lebanon Blocks Six Porn Sites, Sparks Fears of Further Censorship, Global Voices, September 2014
- ^ "ONI Country Profile: Lebanon", OpenNet Initiative, 6 August 2009
External links
- Trafficking of Burundian women in Lebanon, BBC News, 27 June 2007