decisions under the accelerated asylum whose term of office ended in May. In procedure increased the risk of individuals February, however, the rival alliances agreed being returned to countries where they were to form a national unity government with at risk of serious human rights violations Tammam Salam as Prime Minister. or abuses. avoided being drawn fully into the armed conflict in Syria, despite political, religious and social divisions, the continuing influx of refugees from Syria, and the participation of some Lebanese persons, LEBANON notably members of Hezbollah, in the Syrian conflict. However, the conflict remained an Lebanese Republic ever-present threat. Head of state: vacant since May, when Michel Political tension remained high throughout Suleiman’s term ended the year, exacerbated by the Syrian conflict. Head of government: Tammam Salam By the end of the year, Lebanon hosted more than 1.15 million Syrian refugees and around 50,000 Palestinian refugees from Syria, Pressures generated by the armed conflict swelling the population by a quarter and in neighbouring Syria continued. There were straining the country’s resources. Tensions new reports of torture and other ill-treatment related to the conflict sparked repeated bouts of detainees. Lebanon hosted more than 1.2 of violence, especially in Tripoli, causing million refugees from Syria but took steps scores of deaths. The Syrian army periodically to restrict the entry of refugees from Syria shelled the Bekaa valley and other areas including Palestinians. Palestinian refugees inside Lebanon’s border, and armed groups long resident in Lebanon continued to face fired rockets from Syria into Lebanon’s discrimination. Women remained subject eastern border region, where abductions to discrimination in law and in practice, were also rife. In August, members of the and were inadequately protected against Islamic State (IS) armed group posted videos sexual and other violence. Foreign migrant on the internet showing them beheading workers, particularly women domestic two Lebanese soldiers whom they had taken workers, faced exploitation and other hostage in fighting around Arsal, a Lebanese abuse. More than two dozen men faced border town briefly seized by IS and other prosecution for alleged consensual same- armed groups including Jabhat al-Nusra, sex conduct. Some progress was made in who reportedly executed two other hostages clarifying cases of enforced disappearance in September and December respectively. dating back decades. The death penalty A series of bomb attacks in and remained in force; there were no executions. elsewhere also appeared to be connected to The trial in their absence of five people in the Syrian conflict. connection with the assassination of former Prime Minister opened before TORTURE AND OTHER ILL-TREATMENT the Special Tribunal for Lebanon. Syrian There were reports of torture and other ill- government forces and armed groups based treatment of detained suspects. One detainee in Syria carried out indiscriminate attacks held by General Security in May reported along the border. after his release that interrogators had beaten him on his hands and legs with electric BACKGROUND cable, trodden on and verbally insulted him. Political infighting resulted in failure to agree The authorities failed to undertake credible a new President to replace , investigations into allegations of torture,

Amnesty International Report 2014/15 227 including those made by a boy aged 15 funding, and left many refugees unable and other people detained after clashes to access adequate health care, shelter, between the Lebanese army and armed education and other services. groups in June 2013 in the area. Thousands of Palestinian long-term refugees continued to live in camps REFUGEES AND ASYLUM-SEEKERS and informal gatherings in Lebanon, Refugees faced restrictions on their right to often in deprived conditions. They faced seek asylum and other rights. Lebanon was discriminatory laws and regulations, for not a party to the UN Refugee Convention or example denying them the right to inherit its 1967 Protocol. property, the right to work in around 20 At the end of the year, according to professions, and other basic rights. UNHCR, the UN refugee agency, and UNWRA, the UN agency for Palestinian WOMEN’S RIGHTS refugees, Lebanon was hosting more than Women faced discrimination in law and in 1.2 million refugees from Syria. In May, the practice. Personal status laws regulating government effectively closed the border issues such as marriage prevented Lebanese to most Palestinians entering from Syria, women with foreign spouses passing their and announced in June that it would only nationality to their children. In April, a new allow the entry of Syrian refugees from areas law specifically criminalized domestic violence bordering Lebanon. In October, the authorities for the first time. Among other deficiencies, it brought in further restrictions and asked failed to criminalize marital rape, although it UNHCR to stop registering refugees except provided for the establishment of temporary for humanitarian cases. New regulations shelters and measures to strengthen police announced on 31 December required Syrians and prosecutors’ effectiveness in addressing to apply for one of six types of entry visa in domestic violence. order to enter Lebanon. Instances of Syrian refugees and Palestinian refugees from MIGRANT WORKERS’ RIGHTS Syria being sent back to Syria, in violation of Migrant workers faced exploitation and abuse, international law, were documented. particularly women domestic workers whose The high cost of renewing annual residency rights at work - including to fixed days off, rest permits, combined with opaque policies periods, wages and humane conditions - were for the renewal of permits for refugees not protected by law, leaving them vulnerable from Syria, led many refugees to become to physical, sexual and other abuse by irregular in status, placing them at risk of employers. Domestic workers were employed arrest, detention and deportation. Some under contracts tying them to employers municipalities subjected refugees to curfews acting as their “sponsors”, under conditions that limited their freedom of movement, that facilitated abuse. prevented refugees from establishing informal Employers frequently retained possession tented settlements, or imposed additional of workers’ passports to prevent them from taxes on local landlords who rented property leaving abusive working conditions. In June, to them. The Lebanese army and the Internal for the first time, a judge ordered an employer Security Forces also dismantled some to return a domestic worker’s passport, ruling informal tented settlements, ostensibly on that its retention by the employer violated the security grounds. worker’s freedom of movement. The presence of so many refugees put Lebanon’s health, education and other resources under enormous strain. This was exacerbated by inadequate international

228 Amnesty International Report 2014/15 RIGHTS OF LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL, remained undisclosed. In March, however, TRANSGENDER AND INTERSEX PEOPLE the Shura Council ruled that the full, as yet Article 534 of the Penal Code, which unpublished, report of the 2000 Official prohibited sexual intercourse “contrary to Committee of Inquiry to Investigate the Fate of the order of nature” was used to prosecute Kidnapped and Missing Persons in Lebanon various consensual sexual activities, including should be made available to the families of sex between men. In January a judge ruled those missing. After the dismissal of appeals that Article 534 was not applicable in the against this decision, the full report was case of a transgender woman having sexual provided to a lawyer representing the families relations with men. In August, the authorities in September. arrested 27 men at a Beirut bath house and Lebanon signed the International charged them with offences under Article 534 Convention against enforced disappearance and provisions relating to “public decency” in 2007 but had yet to ratify it. and prostitution. In January, five men arrested on suspicion DEATH PENALTY of consensual same-sex sexual activity Courts continued to impose death sentences were reported to have been subjected to for murder and terrorism-related crimes, anal examinations by a doctor, despite the including some in the absence of the Lebanese Order of Physicians declaring in defendants. No executions had been carried 2012 that it was impermissible for doctors to out since 2004. carry out such examinations, which violate the international prohibition of torture and other ill-treatment, and a circular from the Minister of Justice in the same year, that called on public prosecutors to cease this practice. LIBYA

INTERNATIONAL JUSTICE State of Libya Special Tribunal for Lebanon Head of state: Disputed (Agila Saleh Essa Gweider, The trial of four defendants accused in President of the House of Representatives, connection with the assassination of former replaced Nuri Abu Sahmain, President of the Lebanese Prime Minister Rafic Hariri in 2005 General National Congress in August) opened in January before the Special Tribunal Head of government: Disputed (Abdallah al-Thinni for Lebanon (STL) in the Netherlands. The replaced Ali Zeidan in March; Ahmad Matiq briefly four defendants, and a fifth whose trial was replaced Abdallah al-Thinni in May in a disputed joined to theirs by the STL in February, all vote ruled unconstitutional; Abdallah al-Thinni remained at large and were tried in their replaced Ahmad Matiq in June) absence. In April, the STL brought contempt charges against two Lebanese journalists and their respective media outlets for disclosing Militias and other armed forces committed confidential information about witnesses in possible war crimes, other serious violations the trial of the five accused. of international humanitarian law and human rights abuses. They killed or injured IMPUNITY - ENFORCED hundreds of civilians and destroyed and DISAPPEARANCES AND ABDUCTIONS damaged civilian infrastructure and objects The fate of thousands who were forcibly in indiscriminate shelling of civilian areas disappeared, abducted or otherwise in Benghazi, Tripoli, Warshafana, Zawiya, unlawfully deprived of their liberty during and the Nafusa Mountains and elsewhere. after Lebanon’s 1975-1990 civil war, mostly Libya Dawn forces, Zintan Brigades and

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