Cedar Watch
Human rights for Lebanon

Arbitrary arrest, Vicious treatment and tortures in the:
Lebanese Defense Ministry Prisons

December 5/2000
A week Ago a Lebanese called Barakat Said Al Amil who was detained in "Masaleh" intelligence prison in Beirut died from harsh torture, and ill treatment.Last summer another Lebanese detained in "Oberly" intelligence prison in Mount Lebanon also died because they refused to give him medical treatment, his name was George Said. Five years Ago Fawzy Al Rassy died under torture in the intelligence prison in the ministry of defence.Please find herewith a report on the conditions and the tortures that our Lebanese citizens undergo while detained indefinitely in the Lebanese Defense Ministry’s dungeons by the Syrian intelligence service and their moppets in the Lebanese intelligence service.This report is the result of many ex prisoner’s testimonies who wanted to tell their dilemma. This dramatic situation must not be kept secret. While hundreds of people risk dying in these dungeons for the simple reason that they resisted the Syrian occupation.  This report is harsh and shows sketches that describe torture methods we thought it had disappeared long time ago.We decided to reveal this information, at this particular time, and show the way and under what conditions our brothers had confessed, and to reveal and expose the truth about the Lebanese Defense ministry’s detention cells.
Introduction.
The Lebanese Defense ministry is located on the Eastern suburb of Beirut at Yarzeh.
Since 1990 it became an interrogation & torture center for civilians accused of political matters.
Many civilian were illegally detained and tortured, by the Syrian and Lebanese militaries, for unlimited period and prior of been presented to the Military Tribunal. In 1994, two month following the arrest of the Lebanese Christian Forces leader, the Lebanese government issued a statement declaring that the prison at the Defense ministry is an "official prison".
The conditions are summoned as follow:

1-The majority of the detainee in the Ministry of Defense are members of the opposition or presumed opposing to the Pro-Syrian actual Lebanese regime (members of the Lebanese forces, supporters of General Michel Aoun, anti Syrian Sunnites from Tripoli, juvenal who distributed leaflets anti government or just for marching and writing slogans on the walls…) sometimes they imprisoned few Human right defenders and activists. The cells are always crowded and the extra numbers is kept in the corridors.
2-Most of the prisoners undergo torture until today.
3-A certain number of the detainee, due to the torture, will eventually sign a confession on which he will be trial, without any other investigation or interrogation and sentenced sometimes for life, by the Military tribunal of Beirut.

Based on these elements, we confirm that the Lebanese government had created,

In the dungeons of the Defense ministry, an interrogation and detention center in order to silence the opposition. This report aims to spread some light on the cruelty that bare, in silence, the opponents and their supporters since 1990.

Life condition.
General:

A medical visit is due every 15 days by the military doctor (Dr Nicola Kahwaji) who assist sometimes to the torture sessions, for medical intervention when needed.
This doctor exercise pressure and blackmail the prisoners when needed.
The drugs and medicines and all special alimentation are on the prisoners charge.
A change of the cell is due every 15 days followed by an inspection to the cell.
Except when in the cell, the prisoner is always blindfolded and handcuffed behind the back, sometimes for very long periods. The guards lead the prisoners by the neck.
Prior to any visit, the prisoner is informed on the subject he is allowed to discuss.
And after the visit, he is interrogated on the details of the visit. Any lie will cause him more torture, knowing that all visits are monitored without the prisoner’s knowledge or his lawyer’s approval.
All the reading material are subject to political censorship.
When the prisoner hear the cells door open, he has to stand up, face the wall and put his hand behind his back ready to be handcuffed. He will be blindfolded as not to recognize the guards. Any violation of these rules will bring physical punishment.
All medicines, drugs, soap and shampoo are purchased by the prisoner’s family but kept with the guards who use them as well.
Although the lights are always on, and with the absence of any watch, the prisoners will never know neither the date nor the hour or distinguish daytime from night.
Even after his condemnation and all the suffering, the humiliation will not cease for the sole pleasure of the guards. And the brainwash will continue to glorify Syria.
Not one single medical test done at the military hospital will ever be mentioned.
A specialist, who will not leave any mark or trace, practices the torture.

However, if the prisoner reaches a state when hospitalization is needed, elements from the "Moukafaha" (the hit team of the 2^nd bureau) will escort him in an ambulance to the military hospital where he will receive the necessary treatment. Then he will be brought back to his cell. The prescription will be issued to a "prisoner". This way, not any written document will be used or presented, by the prisoner’s advocate, to the court or to the judges pointing toward the torture.
Moral pressure are exercised on the prisoner which will lead him, eventually,
to believe that members of his family are arrested and tortured as well.
During his ½ hour daily walk (sentenced one only) the prisoner is always handcuffed with a soldiers and is forbidden to talk.
Coffee, cigarettes… are forbidden in the cells, even for prisoners sentenced to life.
His family who collect them during the visits cleans the prisoner’s clothes and lingerie.
An airshaft does the prison’s ventilation, which turn the cell torrid in summer and freezing during wintertime.
The weekly shower is done under the direct visual supervision of the guards and it’s done so quick that the prisoners will barely have the time to clean themselves properly.

The prisoner’s rights.

All the trips from and to the tribunal are done while the prisoner is blindfolded and handcuffed even when he appears before the judges.
The prisoner is never notified in advance of his tribunal hearing session. This way he could not inform his lawyer to prepare the defense. The choice of the lawyer is not free, under the pressure of the "Intelligence service" the prisoner is forced to accept the one chosen for him, who will be usually, a pro Syrian one.
In the important cases, the passage before the examining magistrate is done in the absence of the lawyer. If the prisoner insists of having an advocate, he will be submitted to all kinds of physical and moral pressure until he agree to be interrogated without any lawyer.
Not often the torture aim to extract confession from the prisoners, sometimes it serves to entertain a drunken guard or to test a new way or new torturing equipment.
Not all the prisoner undertakes the polygraph test, only specific subjects.

The interrogations.
1^st Stage:

On arrival, an interrogation group, which is called the "active group", takes the prisoner; he will be given a paper and a pen and will be asked to write his history.
Later he will be beaten and humiliated even if he’s telling the truth. Then he will be kept standing blindfolded and handcuffed behind his back, for a period going up to 05 days.

2^nd Stage
Later, a second interrogation group, which is called "passive group", takes charge of the prisoner and tries to convince him, without any brutality, to confess all the crimes that are presented to him. If he accepts, he will be taken to a hall where he will sign all the necessary documents with his eyes covered. If he refuses that, the active group will take charge of him again. Then he will be passed back and forth until he signs all the requested documents. Finally he will be brought before the official interrogator who was Lt. Edmond Abbass, now he is Colonel Imad Kaakour where he will sign the final confession written in a juridical terminology.

Nutrition
During the interrogation : no food, no water.
After the interrogation: rice and bread for lunch, 1 boiled potato for dinner, water.

Visits
No visits during the interrogation period.
After the interrogation period, two 15 minutes visit a week, (close family only).

Hygiene
During the interrogation period: No shower, no shaving and no toilet.

After the interrogation period: one shower a week, one toilet visit a day, one shave a week and one head shaving a month.

Distractions
During the interrogation period: no reading materials, radio, watch, walk, and it is forbidden to sleep for several days.
After the interrogation period: one book a week, no paper or pens, no radio, no watch, ½ h daily walk alone but chained to a soldier (for the life sentenced prisoners only)

Effect of these acts on the prisoner’s health

The prisoners suffers of numerous nervous breakdown in connection to disorientation and great fatigue, added to torture and other tortured prisoners scream which are audible in all cells and due to separation from their social environment for an unlimited period, 80% of the arrested people become addicted to tranquilizing pills and drugs following their passage to the Lebanese Defense ministry.
If a prisoner is wounded during the torture session, the wound becomes infected due to lack of hygiene and medical care.
Within a month the detained person will suffer from Hemorrhoids, due to the enforced diet excluded from vegetables and fruits.
All this without mentioning the dramatic development (due to torture and lack of medical care) to the condition of people suffering from high blood pressure, diabetics, heart problems, renal and respiratory insufficiency.

The structure of the interrogators
The interrogators are unknown to the prisoners who are blindfolded at all time.

Nevertheless, we uncovered the names of the old and new team, specially following the transfer of Gen, Jamil El Sayed who became director of the "Internal Security".
General Edmond Azar Head of the Military intelligence service
Lt. Col. Dimassy Head of the coordination with Syrian intelligence.
Lt. Col. Imad Kaakour. Previous chief of the interrogation department.
Col. John Salloum, commandour of "moukafaha" . Al Sayed took him to "Internal Secutiry". Where he was appointed head of the information dep.
Col. Sawaya, assistant of Al Sayed.
Capt. Elie Alam. Previous assistant to the chief.
Colonel Afif interrogator.
Colonel Noujeim , he was transferred to another unit.
Lt. Edmond Abbass (now retired), secretary, never assist to the torture session, he is the one who collect the final written confessions, Lt. Jihad Khoury took his place.
Lt. Mitry Abou Al rous.
Adj. Elie C. specialist of the Polygraph machine (lie detector).
All prison soldiers, coporals, and sergeants are called "Atieh".
Two Adj. heading the guard groups, one of them is Abou Walid.
Two groups of 06 guard each.
Lt. Ramadan Abou Sharif Chief of the prison.

OBSERVATION

Universal Declaration of Human Rights