For nearly 10 years now, the Issawi family has not been durably reunited. Because of the political activism of their children, the Issawi's parents have seen them successively arrested or questioned by the Israel police. The latest ones, Shireen, a young lawyer, and her brothers, Shadi and Medhat, were arrested in March 2014 by the Israel police.

Alkarama referred to the United Nations Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances the case of Abdul Basit Al Sheikh, a Syrian activist who was arrested in May 2012 by agents of the Syrian Air Forces intelligence services. Until now, his family remains unaware of his fate and whereabouts.

Mr Al Sheikh, a candy seller who became activist

Jemaa Ahmad Massini and Alaeddine Moussa Ibrahim are two young Syrians living in Lebanon. They were arrested in February 2009 by agents of the internal security forces in Dora Street, North-East Beirut.

As they were held incommunicado, they might have been subjected to torture in order to elicit confessions. After eight consecutive days of ill-treatment and without any contact with the outside world or legal assistance, the two young men might have given up and sign documents that were presented to the Lebanese judiciary as confessions.

Nahr Al Bared is a Palestinian refugee camp located in Northern Lebanon. From May to September 2007, it was the scene of clashes between the regular Lebanese forces and Fatah Al Islam, an armed radical group, which led to the death of at least 300 civilians and the displacement of thousands of others. Following a vast operation, hundreds of people were arrested and to date, 87 of them are still arbitrarily detained or prosecuted for supposedly supporting this group.

Maarouf Ould Al Hiba, 33, was secretly detained in Salah Eddine military base, North Mauritania. He died on 12 May 2014 in dubious circumstances. The little information available on the nature and legal status of this centre of detention comes in addition to Alkarama's concern over this death.

Today, Alkarama has provided the United Nations Secretary General with a report on the state of reprisals in the Arab world and in particular on individuals who have suffered from harassment and intimidation for their cooperation with the UN.

On 22 April 2014, Alkarama solicited the intervention of the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention with the Syrian authorities asking for the immediate release of Naef Al Refai, a military judge who was arrested on 22 March 2012 and arbitrarily sentenced to seven years and a half in prison.

May 20, 2014 - The organizations signatories of this appeal express their deep concern about the new policy of the Lebanese authorities towards Palestinian Refugees from Syria.

Article 14 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that « everyone has the right to seek and to enjoy in other countries asylum from persecution». While Syrians access relatively easily the Lebanese territory, fleeing the bloody conflict in their country, many information show that measures are being taken to prevent Palestinian refugees from Syria to access to and stay in Lebanon.

On 14 May 2014, Alkarama submitted an urgent appeal to the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention as well as other Special Procedures for the immediate release of Mr Al Masraba who had been under enforced disappearance for more than thirty-three years.

On 4 March 2014, Basem Mohsen Hassan Elkhoribi was abducted on Port Said Street of Mansoura by security forces along with his friend Eng Ayman Farag. The authorities keep on denying his detention despite several steps taken by his family to find him.

Alkarama has sent an urgent appeal to the United Nations Working Group on Enforced Disappearance asking for his immediate release.