Rights groups call for probe on Lebanese army torture claims

In early July, four Syrian refugees died in custody after they were picked up in mass raids at camps near Arsal on the Syria-Lebanon border.

The four men died after apparently spending several days in the custody of the Lebanese army after the raid, prompting the military to open an inquiry. However, initial forensic reports, seen by MEE, said there was "no evidence of violence" against the prisoners and that the four men had died of natural causes.

But photographs also seen by Middle East Eye show huge gashes and bruising on the bodies of three of the four men, identified as Mustafa Abdel-Kareem Absi, Anas Hussein al-Hsaikeh, Khalid Hussein Moulays, and Othman Merhi Moulays.

The victims were left tied with plastic handcuffs for days on end, "to the point where it caused extreme physical damage - on both their hands and legs," said a legal source who had seen the bodies before their burial on 11 July.

The source told MEE that deep wounds on the corpses were clear indicators of torture.

"There are also the wounds all over their bodies - on the shoulders, arms, knees - especially from the knees. People who were detained and released told me that they were tortured as well."

The source, who cannot be named for security reasons, questioned the army's official version of events, in which the deceased died of heart attacks and a stroke brought on by the weather.

"How can [the army's death report] repeatedly say that there was no violence at all? How can a doctor say that there is no source of violence at all?" the source said. "It was clear there were wounds on the head that led to bleeding."

"This is beyond any doubt. There is clear sign of tension and trauma on the wrists, which could indicate that the victim has been hung by his wrists, by gravity," the source said. A second source with extensive experience of examining images of torture victims said the pictures showed "enough evidence of clear signs of torture".

The Lebanese army has promised to investigate the allegations, although a protest set to take place this week to protest against the mistreatment of refugees was cancelled due to fears of violence.

On Thursday, Human Rights Watch concurred that there had been evidence of torture among the 400 or so refugees picked up by the Lebanese army from Arsal and called on the Lebanese government to take action.

"While the Lebanese army’s promise to investigate these shocking deaths is a positive step, the promise will be meaningless without transparent and independent accountability for anyone found guilty of wrongdoing," said the group’s Middle East director Sarah Leah Whitson.

"Anyone who supports the Lebanese army should support efforts to tackle such serious allegations of military abuse."

Reports of abuse against Syrian refugees in the wider Lebanese society have been frequent since the beginning of the Syrian civil war in 2011, which saw millions of refugees flood into neighbouring Lebanon.

On Wednesday, Lebanese security forces detained on Wednesday a group of men who physically and verbally assaulted a Syrian refugee.

A video showing the attack - widely shared on social media on Tuesday - prompted a public outcry. During the beating, the men are heard shouting expletives at a refugee named Uklah and asking him if he had planned to take part in a protest the following day.

The men demanded of Uklah that he praise the Lebanese army and president and curse the Islamic State and the Syrian people.

Last December, Human Rights Watch (HRW) published the harrowing account of a Syrian refugee who said he was beaten, verbally abused and had a rod pushed up his anus at Rehanieh military police prison on the suspicion of being gay.

HRW has thoroughly documented 10 cases in which civilians in Lebanese military detention said that they were tortured. This included during interrogations, when none of them had access to a lawyer or their families.

The British foreign office said: "Lebanon is on the frontline of the crisis in Syria and faces a high threat from terrorism. Our support for the Lebanese Armed Forces is enabling them to build their capabilities, strengthen the country’s borders and protect the Lebanese people.

"We monitor allegations of human rights abuses closely through our local contacts and encourage the Lebanese Armed Forces to engage with these in an open and transparent way."