The National Human Rights Commission, which includes the Committee for the Prevention of Torture, announced that it is paying exceptional attention to the conditions of pre-trial detainees and priosners in prisons, police stations, and detention centers located in areas affected by Israeli aggression, as well as those for which threats have been issued to evacuate residents.
According to information documented by the Commission, prisoners and pre-trial detainees have been transferred from prisons and detention centers to safer areas, most notably the Judicial Sub-Directorate in the southern suburbs of Beirut, where 86 detainees were transferred to Roumieh Central Prison. As for the police stations located in Khiam, Bint Jbeil, and Mays al-Jabal, they were all evacuated, and 40 detainees were transferred from them to Saida, where they were distributed among several detention facilities and police stations under the administration of the Saida Detachment.
While the prisons of Tebnine and Marjayoun have remained closed since the Israeli aggression in 2024 and have not yet been reopened following the ceasefire agreement concluded on November 27, 2024, Nabatieh Prison still holds 120 prisoners and detainees, and no decision has yet been issued to evacuate it. The Commission recommended that the Directorate General of Internal Security Forces complete the evacuation process immediately, in light of expectations that Israeli aggression may expand.
In Baabda, where a decision was issued to evacuate the Palace of Justice after threats were reported against individuals living nearby, the Commission followed up on the situation of detainees in the detention facility of the Baabda Palace of Justice. It was found that the evacuation included only civilian employees, while the prison administration and detainees were not evacuated, after it became clear that the warning was one of thousands of false alerts sent to the phones of citizens and residents across various Lebanese regions.
The Commission also announced that it continues working to ensure the success of the initiative it launched in 2024 aimed at addressing the problem of overcrowding in Lebanese prisons and easing the burden on families amid the ongoing Israeli aggression against Lebanon. It also continues coordinating with the relevant judicial, security, and military authorities to accelerate the submission of release requests for those eligible.
The Commission also recalled the two circulars issued by the Public Prosecutor at the Court of Cassation, Judge Jamal Al-Hajjar, dated October 29, 2024, and April 10, 2025. These circulars aim to activate the implementation of Article 108 of the Code of Criminal Procedure and expedite its procedures, in cooperation with the National Human Rights Commission, including the Committee for the Prevention of Torture, and the Directorate General of Internal Security Forces. A mechanism has been established to facilitate the submission of release requests by detained defendants and ensure their access to the judicial authority examining their cases.
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