The minimum age for marriage varies by sect,[18] but in practice, Muslim and Christian personal laws allow child marriage. Human rights in Lebanon refers to the human rights situation in Lebanon, which were considered equivalent to global standards in 2004. [1] Some who are considered criminals and terrorists would be held without charge for short and long periods. Freedom of expression and freedom of the press are guaranteed to citizens by Lebanese laws, which protect the freedom of every citizen. Palestinians living in Lebanon are deprived of their basic civil rights. They cannot own houses or land and are not allowed to become lawyers, engineers and doctors. However, the Lebanese government has reduced the number of temporary positions and set up a national dialogue committee on the issue. [2] During the Arab Spring, Lebanon experienced large protests and sectarian violence, but avoided major political upheavals in many parts of the Arab world. [3] [4] There are reports that security forces may ill-treat detainees and, in some cases, use torture.
The government acknowledged that violent abuses typically take place during preliminary investigations at police stations or military installations, where suspects were interrogated without a lawyer. These abuses occurred despite laws that prevented judges from accepting confessions obtained under duress. Methods of torture reportedly include beatings and hanging them with their arms tied behind their backs. Some prisoners were beaten, handcuffed, blindfolded and forced to lie face down. One person died in custody. Local journalists and human rights organizations were denied access to Yarze prison, controlled by the Ministry of Defence. [5] A French report describes the methods of torture used in this prison. [6] Since the withdrawal of 25,000 Syrian troops from Lebanon in April 2005, there have been major improvements, which the West has called the Cedar Revolution. However, journalists and politicians, known to criticize Syria, have been targeted in car bombs prepared by terrorists. Waltz with Bashir, an Israeli film that criticizes aspects of the Israeli military`s handling of the 1982 Lebanon War, has been banned, although the film is popular with Palestinians living in Lebanon who have bought illegal copies.
[11] Other films are also banned, for example, “Schindler`s List” is banned because it promotes Zionist sympathy, a position justified by the fact that Lebanon is officially at war with Israel. Other books and movies have been banned for alleged insults to religion, as laws strictly prohibit religious insults and protect anyone from such insults, for example “The Da Vinci Code” and “The Satanic Verses,” but can now be found in major bookstores. The Lebanese Constitution guarantees freedom of religion and freedom to practice all religious rites, provided that public order is not disturbed. The constitution declares equal rights and duties for all citizens without discrimination or favoritism, but establishes a balance of power among the main religious groups. The government has generally respected these rights; However, the constitutional provision on the distribution of political functions on the basis of religious affiliation may be considered inherently discriminatory. Cases of social abuse or discrimination based on religious belief or practice have been reported. However, there have been repeated reports of tensions between religious groups stemming from competition for political power, and citizens have continued to struggle with the legacy of a 15-year civil war waged largely along sectarian lines. Despite sectarian tensions caused by competition for political power, churches, mosques and other places of worship existed side by side, expanding a centuries-old national heritage as a refuge for those fleeing religious intolerance. Non-religious Lebanese have been mistreated, which is no longer the case, since their rights are equal to the rights of any other Lebanese citizen, and this is guaranteed by the laws of the country. Order Nr.
319 regulating the situations of foreigners in Lebanon (National law, French) On August 11, 2020, reports documented that Lebanese security forces and several unidentified men in civilian clothes attacked unarmed protesters after a loud explosion on August 4. Tear gas, rubber bullets and pump-ignited bullets were fired recklessly into the crowd, injuring more than 230 people during the 8 August protests. [13] Lebanon`s ambassador to the United Nations, Charles Malik, participated in the drafting of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights adopted by Lebanon in 1948. Lebanese Constitution as amended in 1990 (national law, English) More than 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 health system. The Lebanese government denied them permission to own land. The number of restrictions has been increasing since 1990. [20] In 2010, however, the Lebanese government lifted work restrictions on Palestinians, allowing them to apply for work permits and work in the private sector. [21] In a 2007 study, Amnesty International denounced the “appalling social and economic situation” of Palestinians in Lebanon [22]. According to Amnesty International`s 2015-2016 annual report, many Lebanese have been tortured in detention.
In June, five police officers were charged with violence against inmates at Roumieh prison after two videos showed members of the internal security forces beating prisoners on social media. Amnesty International said Lebanon had not established a national torture monitoring body despite ratifying the Optional Protocol to the UN Convention against Torture in 2000. [7] In August 2016, Human Rights Watch published a report on the Syrian refugee crisis in Lebanon. As the report suggests, 1.1 million Syrian refugees – the highest number of refugees per capita in the world – have lived in Lebanon; And about half of these refugees are required to go to school. Although Lebanon and the international community have tried to help them enroll in Lebanese public schools without paying school fees, only 158,000 non-Lebanese students are enrolled in Syrian refugee schools; And less than 3% of 15- to 18-year-olds attend public secondary schools. Due to arbitrary registration, harsh residency policies that make it difficult for refugees to maintain their legal status, transportation costs that Syrian families cannot afford, and the need for additional income that promotes child labor rather than education, a quarter of a million Syrian children are out of school. according to the previous report published in July. [26] On December 8, 2021, Human Rights Watch reported that Lebanon`s General Security arbitrarily detained Nada Homsi. She is an American freelance journalist who has worked for several Arab and international media outlets, including National Public Radio. Homsi was arrested without a court order on 16 November 2021 and confiscated her electronic devices and other documents. They also violated his rights in detention by denying him access to a lawyer. [8] According to Mudar Zahran, a Jordanian academic of Palestinian origin, the media has deliberately chosen to ignore the conditions of Palestinians in refugee camps in Lebanon.
He writes that the “tendency to blame Israel for everything” has provided Arab leaders with an excuse to deliberately ignore the human rights of Palestinians on their land. [25] It has been reported that several websites have been blocked, which is somewhat contradictory. [33] It is known that the Ministry of Telecommunications has ordered the blocking of gambling sites and some pornographic sites due to court decisions. [34] Act of 11 January 1960 amending and supplementing Decree No. 15 of 19 January 1925 (national law, English) On 24 June 2022, Lebanese authorities unlawfully banned peaceful assemblies of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) people, violating constitutional rights to equality, freedom of expression and 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 forcibly ban planned events. [30] Decree No. 30. 15 on Lebanese nationality, including amendments (national law, English) Lebanese nationality law (French) The Lebanese Parliament is divided over the granting of Palestinian rights.
While many Lebanese parties are calling for improved civil rights for Palestinian refugees, others are expressing concerns about the naturalization of the majority Muslim population and the disruption this could cause to Lebanon`s sectarian balance. [24] On the morning of September 16, 2015, Lebanese security forces used excessive force against demonstrators protesting endemic corruption and poor public services. The protests took place near the Lebanese parliament headquarters in Beirut. Lebanese riot police fired gastric grenades and rubber-coated steel bullets at protesters and arrested more than 30 activists, all of whom were released in the following days.