Human Rights Watch Urges Probe into al-Dika's Death in Custody

Human Rights Watch on Monday called for an "impartial investigation" into the death of a Lebanese detainee over allegations he was tortured while in custody, a charge police have denied.

Hassan al-Dika, 46, was declared dead on Saturday, six months after he was first detained on charges of drug trafficking. The cause of death was not immediately clear.

He was a father of three girls, the youngest of whom is three years old.

"Before his death, Hassan Dika alleged that he was subjected to torture and ill-treatment at the hands of the" Internal Security Forces, said Aya Majzoub, Lebanon researcher at Human Rights Watch.

"But despite at least two lawsuits filed by Dika's legal representatives, his allegations were not adequately investigated," she told AFP. 

An HRW statement on Monday said "his death in custody highlights the urgent need for an impartial investigation."

Interior Minister Raya al-Hassan, who has pledged to reform Lebanon's prison system, on Sunday said she has opened an investigation into the cause of death. 

Hassan's father Toufic blamed security forces and the judiciary, saying that the torture he was subject to in custody caused his health to decline, ultimately resulting in his death. 

"My son is a victim of torture," he told AFP. 

"I blame the security agency that arrested him and the judges who were aware of the torture he was subject to," said the man, who works as a lawyer.

The Internal Security Forces on Sunday denied the allegations.

It accused Hassan's father of asking an unidentified forensic doctor to fabricate false medical reports alleging Hassan's body displayed signs of beating.

It said the doctor, who is currently in custody, had confessed to fabricating the documents. 

Sahar Mandour of Amnesty International said "regardless of conflicting narratives, (Dika) did lose his life in custody."

"We call on the Lebanese state to show zero tolerance to the crime of torture," she said.

Lebanon adopted an anti-torture law in September 2017.

But rights groups have routinely documented credible reports of torture in Lebanon.

They say authorities have consistently failed to properly investigate allegations of torture and ill-treatment by security services.

On March 7, 2019, the government appointed the five members of the country’s National Preventative Mechanism against Torture, a body tasked with investigating complaints of human rights violations.

The Cabinet, however, has not yet allocated a budget for the body.