BEIRUT, Lebanon– According to a number of human rights organizations, Lebanon has not met a December 22 deadline to establish a national institution devoted to preventing torture.

Last year, Lebanon signed the Optional Protocol to the UN Convention against Torture (OPCAT).  As part of that signing, Lebanon’s government was required to set up a mechanism within a year that would prevent torture through regular visits to the country’s detention centers.

A committee was set up June 20 under the direction of Former Justice Minister Ibrahim Najjar.  The committee drew up a draft proposal to implement a torture monitoring program, and they eventually sent their proposal to the Justice Ministry on September 30.  However, since that date the government has not taken any further steps.

Human Rights Watch and a number of other human rights organizations issued a statement saying that “the Justice Ministry took an important step when it created the committee, but now it has to finish what it started.  The next step is to send the proposal to the Cabinet.”  These human rights organizations believe it is imperative for the government to act on the draft proposal as soon as possible.

Additionally, the human rights groups have urged the Lebanese government to amend the country’s penal code to criminalize all forms of torture, not just physical violence, regardless of the objective of such torture, and to make the crime of torture punishable by a heavier sentence than the current maximum of three years.

The UN protocol is the first international human rights attempt to prevent torture and other forms of ill treatment by establishing a system of regular visits to detention centers.

In Lebanon, torture is prohibited by law.  However, despite the ban, a number of detainees, including suspected Islamists and suspected spies for Israel, have told various human rights groups that their interrogators beat them and tortured them.

For more information, please see:

The Daily Star- Lebanon Misses Deadline to Help Prevent Torture– 24 December 2009

United Press International- Beirut Lax in Torture Measures, Groups Say– 24 December 2009

Human Rights Watch- Lebanon: Government Misses UN Deadline on Torture Prevention– 23 December 2009