Lebanon

World leaders must commit to protecting Syrian refugees - NEWS - 27/05/2024

Donor governments meeting in Brussels, especially European Union member states, must ensure that any funds pledges to support Syrian refugees in Lebanon do not contribute to human rights abuses, including forcible deportations to Syria. Read more.

Amnesty International was among seven organisations calling on Lebanon to immediately halt the forced deportations of Syrian refugees and reverse a set of unprecedented and draconian measures that were announced on 08 May 2024. Donor countries should urge Lebanon to uphold the principe of non-refoulement and ensure that any assistance provided is not used to facilitate abusive deportations. Read more.

Lebanese authorities and the European Union must respect their obligations under international law and not forcibly return refugees to Syria as long as the conditions for safe, voluntary and dignified returns are not met eight civil society organisations have stated. Read more.

End use of defamation laws to target journalists and critics - NEWS - 03/05/2024

The Lebanese authorities must stop using criminal defamation laws as a weapon to harass, intimidate and attack journalists and critics who report on allegations of corruption in the country. Read more.

The Lebanese parliament's Administration and Justice Committee is on the verge of concluding discussions behind closed doors on a new media law that, if approved by the parliament's General Assembly in its current state, would severely curtail freedom of expression in Lebanon and undermine crucial human rights safeguards. Read more.

Publish the findings about the attack on journalists - JOINT OPEN LETTER - 29/03/2024

Amnesty International was among a number of local and international human rights organisations, civil society organisations, victims and survivors to write an open letter to the United Nations' Secretary General urging that the findings of the UNIFIL investigation into the 13 October 2023 Israeli attack on a group of jouranlists in southern Lebanon is made public. Read more.

Amnesty had earlier stated that the Israeli strikes, which killed Reuters journalist Issam Abdallah and injured six others, were likely a direct attack on civilians that must be investigated as a war crime. Read more.

The Israeli army fired military shells containing white phosphorus, an incendiary weapon, in military operations along Lebanon's southern border between 10 and 16 October 2023. One attack on the town of Dhayra on 16 October must be investigated as a war crime because it was an indicriminate attack that injured at least nine civilians and damaged civilian objects, and was therefore unlawful. Read more.

Government fails people in building at risk of collapse in Tripoli - REPORT - 20/02/2024

One year after the February 2023 earthquakes in Turkey and Syria, heavily felt in Lebanon, people in Tripoli continue to live in houses at risk of collapse, despite the state of emergency declared by the government in the aftermathof the earthquakes. People reached out to the local authorities, but they only received 'eviction notices'. Read more.

Arrest warrant suspension another travesty of justice - NEWS - 18/01/2024

Lebanon's Cessation Court has suspended the arrest warrant against former public works minister, Youssef Fenianos, who was charged in September 2021 with homicide and criminal negligence by lead investigator into the Beirut port blast, Aya Majzoub. Read more.

Amnesty documents

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Updated: 27/05/2024

Country coordinator - Garry Ettle - garry.ettle@amnesty.org.uk