CANADIAN LEBANESE HUMAN RIGHTS FEDERATION (CLHRF)

E.Mail clhrf@yahoo.com
Web Site http://www.clhrf.com
Phone & Fax (905) 272-9389

Press Release
Lebanese Security Forces assaults peaceful demonstrators demanding Release of Lebanese Prisoners in Syria
Apri 7 /2004
The Canadian Lebanese Human Rights Federation (CLHRF) issued a press release in which it strongly denounced this inhuman and brutal assault against a group of peaceful university students and human rights activists. It called on the Beirut regime to immediately and unconditional release all the detainees and open an un biased judicial investigation to make the officials who ordered the assault be held accountable. The CLHRF also sent urgent appeals to the UN, Vatican, Bkerki, Human Rights International organizations and leaders of the free world countries asking them to put pressure on both Lebanese and Syrian regimes to honor human rights and abide by the law.
Backgroud: The Lebanese army troops on Wednesday assaulted savagely tens of peaceful demonstrators while firefighters doused them brutally in downtown Beirut. The peaceful student demonstrators were calling for the release of the arbitrary Lebanese prisoners held since years in Syrian notorious jails. Several protestors were taken to hospitals for treatment from severe baton injuries, and the army made several illegal arrests. Ghazi Ad the well known Lebanese human Rights activist from SOLIDE was among those badly injured. The following were arrested, Jano Chlela, Elie Sarkis, Sami Gemayel, Elie Hayek, Toni Orion, Jean Paul Dieb, Roy Rahal, Edde Chamoun, Amin Essoud, Jamal Jamal, Joudi Essoud, Elie Bodran, Toni Safi, Roni Chediac, Eddi Jubaili, Merwan Lahoud, Remi Fazah, Elie Essa, Charbel Abu Choudi, Eman Sadek. The protestors had attempted to march from Martyr's Square to the ESCWA building in the Riyad Solh Square to present a petition to the UN headquarters.Television footage showed troops dragging drenched protestors away to brief detention. The savage attack took place while hundreds of Hizbollah terrorist organization members and supporters were violently demonstrating in Beirut too in support of the Iraqi Shiite rebellious clergy Mugtada Al Sader. The Lebanese Security Forces did not interfere with them, but instead focused on the peaceful Lebanese university students who were supporting a human rights genuine matter. This biased conduct tells it all. The Lebanese regime is a Syrian puppet one that does not represent the Lebanese wishes, pain, aspirations or hopes.

Spokesman
Elias Bejjani