Army Rejects 'Insults' after HRW Says Troops Acted 'Like a Mob' in Migrant Workers Raid
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
The Army Command on Wednesday said it rejects any insults against the military institution “under the excuse of the rights of migrant workers,” after Human Rights Watch said troops acted “like a gang” during a raid on a Beirut residence inhabited by migrant workers.
HRW said Wednesday that Lebanon should probe and punish army and intelligence officials behind alleged beatings of Egyptian, Sudanese and Syrian migrant workers during the raid.
The organization said the alleged abuses occurred on Sunday during a raid by armed forces on a residence in the Ashrafiyeh neighborhood of Jeitawi, with troops assaulting at least 72 men following unofficial complaints of sexual harassment in the area.
"According to victims and other witnesses, those beaten include at least 45 Syrian, 20 Egyptians, and seven Sudanese migrant workers," HRW said.
"According to the men, uniformed members of the Lebanese army barged into the rooms where they lived and proceeded to viciously kick and beat them, before asking any questions."
But the Army Command's Orientation Directorate on Wednesday issued a statement clarifying the circumstances of the raid.
“After numerous complaints by citizens in the Ashrafiyeh district of Jeitawi over the practices of migrant workers of various nationalities, and their harassment of passersby and carrying out of robberies and indecent acts, an intelligence directorate patrol, backed by a military force, raided their residences on Sunday night,” said the statement.
“The military force was surprised by the resistance of these workers and their violent confrontation of the troops who were tasked with checking their IDs and work permits. Beatings and a stampede ensued and 11 workers of various nationalities were arrested and referred to investigation,” the statement added.
The Army Command voiced regret that the mission of its troops was “distorted.”
It also regretted “any security act that might target some innocent workers,” but stressed that it rejects any insults against the military institution “under the excuse of the rights of migrant workers, whose rights must not come at the expense of Lebanese men and women targeted by harassment.”
The Army Command called on human rights organizations and media outlets “to fully verify the facts and contact the Army Command in order to clarify any vague details, instead of inflaming the public opinion, and to address the misdeeds that some residential areas are witnessing.”
Nadim Houry, the New York-based rights watchdog's deputy director for the Middle East and North Africa, had said the soldiers "acted more like a gang than a national institution".
Human Rights Watch said all of the men it interviewed told it they had valid residency papers.
"Lebanon's army is not above the law and the judiciary needs to immediately investigate this attack and hold those responsible to account," said Houry.
Speaking to Agence France Presse by telephone, he said the army "behaved like a mob wanting to defend the honor of local women, attacking the male migrant. The army did not interrogate any of the men. They simply scapegoated them."
There were at least two minors in the group of migrants, HRW said, citing witnesses.
"One Syrian migrant says he was beaten particularly viciously," it said in a statement.
"The army had found a laptop in the room that he rented with others. They asked him to open the computer but he told them that it was not his and he did not know how to operate it. The army proceeded to throw water at him and beat him repeatedly with a wooden stick," said the watchdog.
"HRW saw the bruises on his back."
Lebanese residents of the Jeitawi area where the attack took place told HRW they tried to intervene but the army yelled at them to go indoors, the statement added.
"Beatings against migrants, both men and women, have not in the past generated social criticism," Houry told AFP.
"In some ways, they are accepted in Lebanese society as some kind of necessary way to keep migrants in check. Therein lies the tragedy," he added.
10 October 2012, 15:22
01
FT: go to hell you racist illiterate scumbag. stick to tayar.org where you belong.
you lost in koura, and will lose next year.
10 October 2012, 17:17
13
We are a long ways from being a truly civilized country and people.
Another step back for us.
One step forward, thirty steps back.
10 October 2012, 17:59
01
I live in a foreign (African country) and being a guest here, the local norm is that if any foreigner breaks any law he/she is treated harshly. Much more severely than they would punish a local for the same crime. And you get told in your face. "you are a foreigner, you are white, if you don't like it go back to your own country". Yet if someone ANYWHERE in the world DARES to blurt out the word "aswad" bit2oum el 2yemeh 3alei. I would like to think that at least bi baladi 72ou2 emi, marti, ekhti etc be respected by foreigners. And if they dont like it... yerja3o 3a baladon. I wanna see what your reaction; all of u, FT/mowaten/phoenix..etc if this happened to one of your own. And YES i do think someone is looking for free publicity for his NY based Org. He was also on MTV yesterday blabering.
10 October 2012, 18:10
22
worthless army just good for bullying.
why are we paying them salaries if they do not want to defend our borders? just there to bully????
10 October 2012, 18:43
01
Probable scenario: some short skirted daughter got whistled by some workers. She gets upset calls her father. The father, a papaz calls his friend a capitain in the army. The friend gets his crew and gives his orders. The crew is more than happy to beat up some syrian, especially that they are weak and unarmed.- easy target.
Two years ago the army found 2 gays in action in a building under construction in ashrafieh, they dragged the guys to the middle of sassine square and beat the hell out of them.- easy target.
I am against disciplining the army for the murder of the weapons and alchool carrying cheikh under duress. But I am for disciplining them to attack UNARMED people. They should arrest them and give them to judiciary authorities. Army cannot be judge, jury and executor.
11 October 2012, 01:55
00
The army justification is not sufficient. While we all support the army and eager for the day it confront the real thugs and bullies, and become the only armed force in the country and truly defend our borders and protect us from the Basij; abuses of human and civil rights of foreign workers is unacceptable. If individual workers committed punishable acts, they should be identified and punished. However, collective brutal punishment by security forces is what takes place in brutal regimes not Lebanon. Civility requires protecting the civil and human rights of all, especially foreign residents.
11 October 2012, 10:45
01
Good job by the army ,those migrant workers must first respect the law and respect our sisters when they are walking the streets ,why should our women feel like a peace of meat everytime they walk passed a constrution site,for you human rights lovers leave the army alone..
11 October 2012, 11:16
00
Any NGO in Lebanon is automatically a Corrupt For Profit Organization. Shameful but true.
11 October 2012, 13:48
01
HRW, what a joke, this American organization with a highly suspect agenda and flawed methodology should dedicate itself to the rights of native (Indian) Americans, Mexicans in the US, Poles in Europe and the crimes of successive US administrations in Vietnam, Cuba, various Latin American countries, Grenada, Panama and of course Afghanistan and Iraq? Do the US drone strikes not constitute human rights violations when they kill innocent women and children? And when was their last report on Israel? Check their website. Last I heard they were beating up on Hamas. I'm no friend of Hamas but aren't they the ones besieged by the Israelis?
11 October 2012, 13:49
01
HRW, what a joke, this American organization with a highly suspect agenda and flawed methodology should dedicate itself to the rights of native (Indian) Americans, Mexicans in the US, Poles in Europe and the crimes of successive US administrations in Vietnam, Cuba, various Latin American countries, Grenada, Panama and of course Afghanistan and Iraq? Do the US drone strikes not constitute human rights violations when they kill innocent women and children? And when was their last report on Israel? Check their website. Last I heard they were beating up on Hamas. I'm no friend of Hamas but aren't they the ones besieged by the Israelis?
11 October 2012, 13:51
01
HRW, what a joke, this American organization with a highly suspect agenda and flawed methodology should dedicate itself to the rights of native (Indian) Americans, Mexicans in the US, Poles in Europe and the crimes of successive US administrations in Vietnam, Cuba, various Latin American countries, Grenada, Panama and of course Afghanistan and Iraq? Do the US drone strikes not constitute human rights violations when they kill innocent women and children? And when was their last report on Israel? Check their website. Last I heard they were beating up on Hamas. I'm no friend of Hamas but aren't they the ones besieged by the Israelis?
27 March 2013, 22:07
00
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