Lebanon : Incommunicado and torture during 35 days for Mr Fadi Sabunah
Mr Fadi Anwar SABUNAH, 23 years old, lives in Tripoli. He was arrested without a judicial warrant on 5 October 2008 by the Palestinian Joint Security Committee in Beddawi, in North Lebanon before being transferred to the Lebanese Army Intelligence. He was detained incommunicado and tortured for 35 days in the aim, ultimately achieved, of making him sign a false confession.
He is currently subject to criminal charges before the Military Tribunal in Beirut despite the fact that he is not part of the military, and the proof that will be used against him is essentially based on the declarations made under torture.
Arrested by the Palestinian Joint Security Committee in the Beddawi Refugee Camp near Tripoli, he was transferred to the Lebanese Military Intelligence services, accused of having links to a cell responsible for attacks targeting the army in Abdeh in May 2008, and in Tripoli in August and September of that same year.
After being held for a day at the military station in Quba in Tripoli, he was then transferred to the Ministry of Defense in Al-Yarze, Beirut, were he was detained incommunicado and tortured from 7 October to 11 November 2008.
He was then again transferred to the Military Police station in Al-Rihania where he remained 15 days before being taken once more to the Ministry of Defense on 26 November for more interrogations.
Mr Fadi Sabunah was gravely tortured at the Ministry of Defense during the period covering 7 October to 11 November 2008 and again from 26 to 29 November, often for several hours at a time, some days for up to 8 consecutive hours.
He was in particular subjected to the "Ballanco" (hanging by the wrists which are tied behind the back), violently beaten, forced to remain standing for two days, and he was also forced to stay awake for 5 days. His torturers also threatened to rape his wife in front of him.
It is in these conditions that Mr Fadi Sabunah, being mentally and physically exhausted, was constraint to sign declarations to end his suffering.
During his incommunicado detention at the Ministry of Defense in November, he was interrogated by the investigating military judge in charge of the present procedure against him.
Since 29 November 2008, he is being detained at Roumie prison.
Despite requests, he has not had a medical examination to this day, more than two months after the torture took place.
No investigation has been ordered following the allegations of torture.
It must therefore be feared that the declarations signed following torture may be used in the current legal proceedings and may be used as basis for handing down a heavy sentence.