WTF
Lojine Kamel

Human Rights Watch: Lebanese Police Torture Vulnerable People

On Wednesday, June 26, the Human Rights Watch published a 66 page report detailing the cruelty that victims of the Lebanese police were subject to.

They found that Lebanese police members were particularly hostile toward vulnerable populations such as drug dealers, prostitutes, and LGBT individuals.

The report published harrowing testimonies from more than 50 people from the above parties, which described several incidents of beatings, anal probes, and even rape. Each of the individuals had been arrested in the past five years on suspicion of drug use or dealing, sex work, or homosexuality.


(Photo via The Times)

Human Rights Watch deputy Middle East director Nadim Houry spoke about the matter, explaining “The abuse of prisoners, especially the most vulnerable people in society, isn’t going to stop until Lebanon ends the culture of impunity in its police force.”

In the last five years, Lebanon has actively progressed in reforming their Internal Security Forces with a series of laws and codes, yet failure to implement them has led to continued ignoring of the ongoing abuse.

“At first I protested, I fought back, but then I understood that it’s useless. If you want to be treated well, you have to have sex with them,” explained “Soumaya,” a sex worker who had been detained in Baabda prison for nine months.

Mohammad, who was arrested on suspicions of drug charges, was held in the Zahleh police station. He recounted his 11 days of detention to the Human Rights Watch, stating “They took me to interrogation naked, poured cold water on me, tied me to a desk with a chain, and hung me in the farrouj position.”

The Lebanese Police is no novice to scandal and outrage; in August of last year, 36 men were subjected to anal probing at a reportedly gay cinema. In April of this year, several transgender and homosexual individuals were taken to a police station and stripped and photographed. Only last week, accounts of police brutality against several protesters in Nejmeh Sqaure were reported.

Read the full report online, here.


(Photo via Dex Comics)