Calls for probe after Syrians die in Lebanese custody
BEIRUT: Anger mounted among Syrians in Lebanon on Wednesday as a Syrian opposition group and an international watchdog called for a quick investigation into the deaths of four Syrians in Lebanese army custody.
The four were detained in a sweeping security raid last week in refugee settlements in and around the border town of Arsal that netted 355 Syrians. The town and the surrounding area was the scene of a major cross-border attack in 2014, when a number of Lebanese soldiers were abducted.
None of the detained Syrians have been charged so far. During the raids, at least four Syrians detonated explosive vests, killing a Syrian girl and wounding seven Lebanese soldiers.
In Arsal on Wednesday, Syrian refugees blocked a road to prevent the return of the bodies of the four for burial, demanding that autopsies take place first.
But the town mayor ordered they be taken to the local cemetery, a refugee from the Syrian town of Qusayr told The Associated Press. He spoke on condition of anonymity because of his precarious legal status in Lebanon.
According to photos seen by the AP, two of the bodies showed heavy bruising on the face and abdomen — which human rights lawyer Nabil Halabi said was consistent with beatings. A third body was missing the head, another photo showed.
Mayor Bassil Hujeiri denied interfering with the ambulances, insisting the army controls traffic in and out of Arsal.
Initially, the military was praised in the media for the raids, but Syrian activists raised allegations of abuse after photographs surfaced showing the detainees with their faces to the ground, many bare-chested and handcuffed. The army over the weekend dismissed allegations of abuse, saying mass detentions were necessary to combat terrorism.
A military statement on Tuesday said the four Syrians who died had chronic conditions that deteriorated because of soaring summer temperatures. They were transferred to a hospital for medical treatment immediately after their arrest on Friday, but died before they could be interrogated, the army said.
Lama Fakih, deputy Middle East director at Human Rights Watch, said that “in light of the army’s own admission that the health condition of the detainees deteriorated while in custody, a formal, transparent and independent investigation must be launched.”
“In case of wrongdoing, those responsible for the deaths should be held accountable,” she added.
The Syrian National Coalition, a Turkey-based opposition group, also called for an investigation, claiming that at least 10 detained Syrians had died in Lebanese custody following last week’s raid and alleged that Lebanese authorities were rushing the funerals without carrying out autopsies to determine the cause of death.