The Head of the Syrian Coalition’s Department of Refugee Affairs Amal Sheikho said that the Lebanese authorities have taken “unprecedented measures against the Syrian refugees,” citing the targeting of defecting Syrian army officers in preparation for their handover to the regime.
The Department has recently held meetings with lawyers, journalists, activists and politicians concerned about the affairs of Syrian refugees in Lebanon. It discussed with them the violations against refugees and ways to take legal action to put an end to such violations and provide protection for refugees and restore their rights.
Sheikho stressed that the responsibility for the safety of Syrian refugees lies with the Lebanese authorities, calling on the United Nations to launch an urgent investigation and follow up on the cases to prevent the deportation of Syrianb refugees to the Assad regime.
Moreover, Sheikho said that tens of thousands of officers and soldiers in the Assad forces refused to carry out orders to kill civilians or shoot demonstrators, including those who fled to Lebanon to escape reprisal by the Assad regime which executes anyone who disobeyed his orders.
“We are appealing to the conscience of the world and its institutions, specifically the UNHCR and Amnesty International to intervene and prevent the handover of these officers to the Assad regime,” Sheikho said.
She pointed out that Lebanon is a founding member of the United Nations and is committed to its Charter, particularly the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. She also noted that Lebanon signed the Convention against Torture, the Article 2 of which prohibits the handover of those who may be subjected to extrajudicial killing and torture.
Sheikha stressed that the Lebanese authorities are obliged to abide by the resolutions and respect the rights of refugees on their territory. She called upon those authorities to respect their constitution and the reputation of their country as well as to reconsider all recent measures against Syrian refugees who fled death and arrest. (Source: Syrian Coalition’s Media Department)
