**All Prisoners but Mr. Pierre Attallah have been released -
Please see http://www.derechos.org/human-rights/actions/sos/leb2.txt**



The Human Rights Actions Network - Derechos Human Rights
http://www.derechos.org/human-rights/actions/


Special Human Rights Defenders Appeal
Case LBN 271296

The International Secretariat of OMCT requests your URGENT 
intervention in the 
following situation in Lebanon.

Brief description of the situation :

FIDH, a member of the network , has expressed its grave concern over a wave
of arrests and arbitary detention that has taken place over the past few
days. There are grave fears for the physical and psychological integrity of
all those involved.

It is believed that the arrests have taken place to detain persons presumed
to be members of the opposition and leaders of human rights organisations.
All the detainees have been arrested without warrant and taken to the
Ministry of Defence. There is strong evidence that torture has been used
and is currently being used on some of the arrestees. 

Arrested at an indeterminate date:

Zakhia ESSAYFI, Antoine AZZI, Samir GHAZAL, Ghassan BARDAWI, Ghassan 
HADDAD

Arrested on the night of the 18th  and 19th  December 1996 are:

Charles RUSTOM, Charbel CHAMI (freed after having been tortured), Georges
ASSI, George FAYAD (freed after having been tortured), Charbel MATAR,
Michel KAYROUZ, Mansour TOK, Elie KAYROUZ, Fadi CHAMATT, Riad SEMANN and
Charbel ABI AKL. 

Arrested on the 20th December 1996:

Francois ABI-TAYEH, Antoine ABOU JAOUDE, Fouad ABOU MUSLEH, Elie 
HADGHITI, Sami RAHME, Charbel BOULOS, Antoine BARED, Pierre DAGHER, 
Charbel NAKAD, Roland TOK

Arrested 21 December:

Joseph GHOSN, Ghassan ABI-NADER (subsequently released), Obeid ZWAIN,
Samir, TAYEH

Arrested the afternoon of 23 December:

Michael TORBAY, Youssef KHALIL, Gabi KARAM, Raymond ASSAKER, Alexis 
BARBARI and Youssef BARBARI.

Arrested 24 December:

Pierre ATTALAH, Journalist and correspondent of Journalists Without
Frontiers (RSF)  and Wa'il KHEIR, President of the Foundation for Human and
Humanitarian Rights. It appears, the detention of Wa'il KHEIR, was related
to the efforts of his organisation to expose the human rights violations
that occurred during the round-up

The lawyer of Wa'il KHEIR has been denied access to his client 
despite his being held for 
more than 24 hours.

Action requested :

Please contact the Lebanese authorities urging them to :

i.	ensure in all circumstances the respect of the physical and 
psychological integrity 
of the above-mentioned persons

ii order the immediate release of these persons if they are detained
without valid charges or, if such charges exist, bring them before a civil
competent and impartial tribunal and guarantee their procedural rights at
all times;  iii ensure the victims of torture appropriate redress and
compensation. iv. ensure in all circumstances respect for human rights and
fundamental freedoms in accordance with national laws and international
standards.

Addresses :

President Elias Hrawi, Presidential Palace, Ba'abda, Lebanon.  Telegrams:
President Hrawi, Beirut, Lebanon.  Telex: 21000.  Fax: + 961 1 425 393

His Excellency Rafiq al-Hariri Prime Minister of Lebanon Office of the
Prime Minister, Serail, Rue des Arts et M'tiers, Sanayeh, Beirut, Lebanon. 
Telegrams: Prime Minister Hariri, Beirut, Lebanon.  Fax: + 961 1 200 469

Minister of Justice, Ministry of Justice, Rue Sami Solh, Beirut, Lebanon. 
Telegrams: Justice Minister Tabbara, Beirut, Lebanon.  Fax: + 961 1 422 957

Geneva, 27 December 1996

Kindly inform us of any action undertaken quoting the code of this 
appeal in your reply.