News briefing:
Translated and edited by: Committee for Justice
Geneva: December 2, 2021
The UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders, Mary Lawlor, called on Lebanon to immediately cease threats and intimidation of human rights defender and lawyer, Mohammad Ahmad Samir Sablouh, who has worked to assist victims of torture and arbitrary detention and Syrian refugees facing deportation.
Lawlor confirmed in a statement published by the media center of the Human Rights Council in Geneva that Sablouh was targeted by the Lebanese Public Security Directorate and the government’s commissioner to the military court in relation to his legal work and his input to Amnesty International’s report on Syrian refugees who were allegedly arbitrarily detained on terrorism charges and tortured in Lebanon.
The Lebanese military prosecutors had demanded the lifting of the immunity of Sablouh as a lawyer, in order to try him under Article 403 of the Lebanese Penal Code, alleging false accusations, he and his agents were also regularly questioned in connection with his work helping Syrian refugees in Lebanon.
“I am extremely concerned at the use of threats and intimidation that risk undermining the right to freedom of opinion and expression and the legitimate work of lawyers,” Lawlor said.
The UN rapporteur added: “The unimpeded work of human rights lawyers and human rights defenders in exposing these violations is crucial.”
Lawlor stressed that it will continue to monitor the case and contact the Lebanese authorities on this matter.
