**Note Mr Attallah has been released**


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


           Special Human Rights Defenders Appeal
                     Case LBN 271296.1
               Follow up of Case LBN 271296
                             
The   International  Secretariat  of  OMCT  has  just  been
informed  of  the  RELEASE of all the  people  detained  in
Lebanon  -  except Mr Pierre Attallah - on whose behalf  we
asked you to intervene.

Brief reminder of the situation :
FIDH  (International Federation of Human Rights), a  member
of  the  network, expressed grave concern over  a  wave  of
arrests and arbitary detention that had taken place between
the  18th  and the 28th of December 1996. There were  grave
fears  for the physical and psychological integrity of  all
those involved.

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

Among  those arrested were, on 24 December 1996, Mr  Pierre
ATTALAH,   journalist  and  correspondent  of   Journalists
Without  Frontiers (RSF) and Mr Wa'il KHEIR,  President  of
the  Foundation  for  Human  and  Humanitarian  Rights.  It
appeared  that the detention of Mr 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 Mr Wa'il KHEIR had been denied access to his
client despite his being held for more than 24 hours.

New information :
FIDH  (International Federation of Human Rights), a  member
of  the network, has informed the International Secretariat
of  the  RELEASE of all the people detained - including  Mr
Wa'il  KHEIR - over the past few days. However,  Mr  Pierre
Attallah is still detained.

FIDH notes that Mr Wa'il KHEIR, President of the Foundation
for  Human  and Humanitarian Rights, was not  subjected  to
torture.

Observations :
The International Secretariat welcomes the release of these
people  and  thanks  the  member organisations,  the  other
organisations   and  individuals  for  their   intervention
following the distribution of the appeal.

However,  due to the fact that Mr Pierre Attallah is  still
detained,  the  International Secreteriat  insists  on  the
necessity  to  keep on writing to the Lebanese  authorities
urging them to :

i.  ensure  in  all circumstances respect of  the  physical
    and psychological integrity of Mr Pierre Attallah;

ii. order  his  immediate release, if he is still detained,
    in the presumed absence of valid charges;

iii.ensure  in  all circumstances respect for human  rights
    and  fundamental freedoms in accordance  with  national
    laws and international standards.

Geneva, 7 January 1997

Kindly inform us of any action taken by quoting the code of
this appeal in your reply.
Ben Schonveld
Projects Manager

OMCT - SOS Torture Tel: +41-22-733 31 40 
Case Postale 119   Fax: +41 22-733 10 51
CH 1211 Geneva 20  Conf: omctsostorture@conf.igc.apc.org
Switzerland        OMCT@iprolink.ch

OMCT is the l'Organisation Mondiale contre la Torture
             The World Organisation Against Torture