Lebanon orders probe into torture claims of detained Syrians

Amnesty last week accused Lebanese authorities of ‘cruel, abusive’ treatment of more than 20 Syrians in detention.

Lebanon’s prosecutor general Ghassan Oueidat has ordered a probe into the alleged torture of more than 20 Syrians in custody following a report by Amnesty International. Amnesty, in a report published last week, accused Lebanese authorities of “cruel and abusive” treatment of more than 20 Syrians it said had been tortured in prison or during interrogation. It blamed in particular Lebanon’s military intelligence bureau and said the abuse was mostly at a military intelligence centre in east Lebanon’s Ablah district, the General Security bureau in Beirut or at the defence ministry.