Press release
Syrian Opposition Coalition – Syria
Department of Media and Communications
July 21, 2020
Hate speech and incitement of hostility against refugees in Lebanon by some Lebanese politicians constitutes a crime against humanity under the law as it makes them direct partners in the abuses and violations refugees may be subjected to.
This incitement is coming from politicians who are allied with the terrorist Hezbollah, which has been a major reason for the current situation in Syria. Indeed, had it not been for Hezbollah’s intervention in Syria and its partnership in atrocities, the course of the Syrian revolution would have been fundamentally different, the lives of hundreds of thousands of Syrians would have been spared, millions would not have been displaced, and Syria would have been a stable, democratic country.
The recent racist remarks by leader of the Free Patriotic Movement, Gebran Bassil, come in the context of the hate speech and the incitement of violence against refugees.
It is imperative that the Lebanese authorities carry out their duties and assume their responsibilities with regards to this inflammatory speech. The legal authorities, civil society organizations, and the honorable people in Lebanon are required to take all possible legal action against these statements.
There is an urgent need to provide the Syrian refugees in Lebanon with the necessary protection and ensure that they are not subjected to any violations. All the relevant parties are required to carry out their duties in this regard.
